Tigers' Verlander no longer on track for Thursday start

Despite leaving his most recent Grapefruit League start with cramping in his right triceps, Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander was slated to take the mound Thursday for his final spring outing.

That no longer appears to be the case.

Verlander reported improvement in his triceps Sunday morning, but Shane Greene was listed as the probable starter for Thursday's game against the New York Yankees at Joker Merchant Stadium. Though the Tigers have yet to determine who will start Wednesday in Kissimmee, it seems unlikely manager Brad Ausmus would move Verlander up a day amid uncertainty about his health.

Ausmus hinted Sunday the Tigers could push back Verlander's regular-season debut to give him more recovery time, a possibility that seems increasingly likely with the 32-year-old no longer pegged to start Thursday.

"With the off day (April 7), we could conceivably pitch him on Sunday (April 12) against Cleveland, so he'd get those extra four days," Ausmus said. "So we could give him a little extra time if necessary. We're not there yet."

Verlander, incidentally, has been one of the most durable starters in baseball throughout his career, making more starts since 2007 than any other pitcher. Only two starters have logged more innings over that span, and Verlander hasn't spent a day on the disabled list since his 2005 debut.