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Justin Verlander placed on injured list for Tigers with hip issue

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Justin Verlander placed on injured list for Tigers with hip issue


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Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander has been placed on the 15-day injured list with left hip inflammation.

Keider Montero will be called up and is expected to start Sunday, April 5, against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park.

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It will be retroactive to April 1, so the earliest Verlander will be eligible to return is April 16.

Verlander has already pitched once this season, although his first start was forgettable. He gave up five runs off six hits in 3⅔ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He struggled with his command, throwing 80 pitches (53 for strikes) while recording one strikeout with two walks. Since then, he has worked on his mechanics.

“Head position,” he said Saturday. “Trying to be a little more deceptive and stay in line a little bit longer.”

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The Diamondbacks hit Verlander hard, making contact with seven balls that featured an exit velocity over 100 mph.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Verlander said. “I hope it’s not like last year … months trying to find it. Hopefully I find it a little quicker than that. But yeah, you know, I think talking to analysts and those guys and the stuff is actually pretty good, so not too far away. I hope.”

Verlander, 43, signed a one-year deal with the Tigers this offseason, returning to the franchise he spent his first 13 seasons with. He made 29 starts in 2025 for the San Francisco Giants.

And he was expected to start Sunday night against the Cardinals in Comerica Park in front of a national audience on “Sunday Night Baseball” on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.

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Montero was optioned to Triple-A by the Tigers on March 4, with the franchise planning on him as their No. 6 starter in the rotation.

“We’ve got to protect our rotation,” Hinch said when Montero was sent to Toledo. “For him, defining the role where we felt like he can help us the most was going to be, at some point, in our rotation. Whether that’s getting called up as a sixth starter, or god forbid anything happens, he’s equipped to handle that, and the only way to do that is get him going and building him as a starter.”

In 2025, Montero registered a 4.37 ERA with 31 walks and 72 strikeouts across 90⅔ innings in 20 games (12 starts) for the Tigers. He also logged a 5.91 ERA across 42⅔ innings in 10 games (eight starts) for Triple-A Toledo.

Montero has made one start for Toledo, throwing four scoreless innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on March 29. He struck out three with one walk.

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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff



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4 Reasons Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Schedule Is Very Promising

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4 Reasons Detroit Lions 2026 NFL Schedule Is Very Promising


The Detroit Lions schedule is now officially available to review and examine.

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While Dan Campbell’s squad is playing a fourth-place schedule, the ending stretch, which features three division games in four weeks on the road, presents the roster their biggest challenge.

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Early in the season, there are opportunities to secure a handful of victories, as the opponents are coming off disappointing 2025 seasons.

Here are four reasons the Lions 2026 NFL schedule can end up being beneficial to Campbell’s squad.

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Early portion of schedule is favorable

In the first five weeks, the Lions only play one team, the Buffalo Buffalo Bills, that was able to secure a playoff victory last season.

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Detroit opens up against a Saints team that is still in the early phases of a new regime. Campbell should be quite familiar with the Jets and will have the Lions in prime position to take advantage of knowing how Aaron Glenn operates.

The Arizona Cardinals are not favored to win a single game on their 2026 schedule.

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Bills game is early in the season

Typically, it takes NFL teams about three to four games to get fully acclimated at the start of a new season.

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Buffalo will be still learning how new head coach Joe Brady likes to operate in his new role leading the team.

Facing Buffalo in Week 2 should give Detroit an opportunity to take advantage of any early season woes that are inherent when a team hires new coaches and brings in new players.

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Lions have opportunity to win all games at Ford Field this season

Detroit’s first two division games take place at Ford Field. Following an early bye in Week 6, the team faces the Packers and Vikings just before the halfway mark of the season.

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The game against the New England Patriots to set to take place in Germany. Detroit’s home slate features many winnable games and will provide fans the opportunity to celebrate after the conclusion of 60 minutes of action.

Lions road schedule is not daunting outside of division games

Detroit will face their fair share of challenges against division rivals. But when the team packs up their bags and heads on the road, they are favored in the majority of road games.

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The Bills game is the most challenging on paper, as the Lions are also scheduled to face the Falcons, Cardinals, Panthers and Dolphins away from Ford Field.

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For more comprehensive Detroit Lions coverage and NFL insider analysis, follow us on X, @detroitpodcast, head on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, follow us on TikTok, subscribe to the Detroit Lions On SI Lone Wolves YouTube Channel

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Detroit Pistons release injury report ahead of Game 7 vs. Cavaliers

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Detroit Pistons release injury report ahead of Game 7 vs. Cavaliers


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Detroit — After staving off elimination Friday night at Rocket Arena, the Detroit Pistons will face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night, with the series tied 3-3. If the Pistons win Game 7, they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2008 and will compete against the New York Knicks.

In preparation, the Pistons released their final injury report for the series, which lists Kevin Huerter, Caris LeVert, and Duncan Robinson as questionable for Game 7. LeVert (right heel contusion) and Robinson (lower back soreness) were listed as questionable ahead of the Pistons’ 115-94 Game 6 victory but played vital roles in the win.

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Robinson returned to the lineup after missing Game 5 Wednesday night, finishing with 14 points while shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc in 20 minutes. However, he returned from the injury by coming off the bench for the first time this season. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff chose to keep Daniss Jenkins in the starting lineup to assess Robinson’s condition.

Huerter has been listed as questionable for the third time since his return for a left adductor strain that forced him to miss seven consecutive games. He sustained the injury during the Pistons’ first-round series against the Orlando Magic. He played for three minutes in his comeback on Wednesday night but left the game shortly thereafter. Despite being available, Huerter did not play in Game 6.

However, the most significant reveal from the Pistons’ injury report was the noticeable absence of Jalen Duren. The All-Star center rolled his left ankle midway through the third quarter of Game 6 after colliding with Cavaliers guard James Harden.

Bickerstaff substituted Duren immediately for Paul Reed. He made a couple of trips to the locker room, but returned at the start of the fourth quarter. As a result, Duren had his most impactful game of the series, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds and two blocks.

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NBA Playoffs, second round: No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 4 Cavaliers

Series tied 3-3

Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101

Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97

Game 3: Cavaliers 116, Pistons 109

Game 4: Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103

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Game 5: Cavaliers 117, Pistons 113 (OT)

Game 6: Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94

Game 7: at Detroit, Sunday, 8 p.m. (Amazon Prime)

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24

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How many division wins will the Detroit Lions tally in 2026?

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How many division wins will the Detroit Lions tally in 2026?


Every year, the NFL schedule bring upon something new for the Detroit Lions. This year, it’s a trip to Germany, a rare “Sunday Night Football” game at Carolina, and an early bye week. Oh wait, scratch that last one. It happens all that time.

Another constant on the Lions’ schedule is their divisional opponents. Like every other team, Detroit’s six divisional games make up over a third of their entire schedule. That means Detroit’s record within the NFC North will likely be crucial toward their regular season success. And with all three of their road divisional games crammed into the final four weeks of the season, how Detroit fares in those contests will almost certainly decide where they land in the postseason picture.

Last year, Detroit was swept by both the Vikings and Packers, and even though they ended up sweeping the division-winning Chicago Bears, it wasn’t enough to punch their ticket to the playoffs. So today’s Question of the Day is:

How many division wins will the Lions pick up on their 2026 schedule?

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My answer: I’m going with three.

First off, let’s get this straight. There is no universe where getting swept by the Vikings again in 2026 is acceptable. I understand their defense is a very tough matchup for an offense-heavy team like the Lions, but Minnesota’s roster just doesn’t compare to the rest of the division right now—especially with the questions at quarterback. Because the Vikings still always play the Lions tough, I’ll give them a split of the series.

And I’m going to be boring with the other two teams, too. I expect a split with each series. I think Ben Johnson will have a chip on his shoulder after getting swept by Dan Campbell last year and find a way to win one of those games. And while I’m really tempted to predict a sweep of the Packers, I’m just having a hard time seeing it given how well they tend to play against Detroit. The Lions will have the benefit of the bye week going into their first matchup, but a Week 18 game in Lambeau will be tough, even if the Lions managed to beat them in that exact scenario during the 2022 season.

How many division wins do you think the Lions pick up this year? Vote in the poll below and share your reasoning in the comment section.



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