Justin Verlander looked like he was ready for the big leagues in his second rehab start for Triple-A Toledo, where he struck out nine batters over 5 2/3 innings with an unearned run allowed.
While Verlander’s top velocity registered a tick down on the Fifth Third Field radar gun compared to his first rehab start last Sunday at Indianapolis, his command and his secondary pitches were markedly improved. He retired 10 consecutive batters after Indians prospect Francisco Lindor’s single leading off the game, and sent a Columbus lineup swinging and missing at 17 of his 93 total pitches.