Verlander close to return after strong rehab start

NEW YORK -- Five months after Justin Verlander signed with the Mets, and a little more than a month into this season, Verlander appears ready to make his debut.

The 40-year-old Mets ace threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab start Friday for Double-A Binghamton, setting him up to start next week during the Mets’ series in Detroit. Although Buck Showalter said he planned to wait to see how Verlander felt on Saturday before confirming him for that start, the Mets manager acknowledged that Verlander shouldn’t need a second rehab outing.

“I’m very excited to finally have a chance to pitch for the Mets,” Verlander told reporters in Binghamton, N.Y.. “Not the way I envisioned starting my career here. But unfortunately, these things happen. I’m doing everything I can to be back and be successful.”

The Mets announced on Opening Day that Verlander, whose usual mid-90s velocity dropped by about two mph in his final spring start, would go on the injured list due to a teres major muscle strain in his right side. Initially, Verlander offered optimism that he would miss only a couple of starts. Later, he called a late April return a worst-case scenario.

Instead, Verlander will debut in May against a Tigers team that drafted him, developed him and reaped the benefits of his MVP season in 2011.

“I was hoping it would be quicker, but it just didn’t quite cooperate,” Verlander said. “It took a little longer to heal than we anticipated. … The area that it was in, we had to be quite cautious.”

Originally scheduled to go four innings in his rehab start, Verlander was efficient enough that he returned to the mound for the fifth, throwing 52 of his 69 pitches for strikes. He allowed two hits, walked one, struck out six and generated 12 swings and misses against Akron, sitting around 95 mph with his fastball.

Prior to the start, Verlander threw three innings and 43 pitches in a simulated game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on April 23. He should be stretched out enough to throw 80-85 pitches against the Tigers. That outing will occur on Wednesday if the Mets use Verlander on regular rest, or on Thursday if they give him an extra day.

“We’ll see how he recovers [Saturday], but so far, so good,” Showalter said.

Verlander’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Mets, who will also welcome the return of Max Scherzer from suspension on Monday. The team remains without regular starters José Quintana and Carlos Carrasco, who are both out indefinitely.