Verlander (hamstring/hip) has been playing catch daily, but he has yet to be cleared to resume throwing off a mound, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
While he hasn't been shut down from throwing, Verlander has been building back up slowly since sustaining a left hamstring strain in his most recent bullpen session June 17. The Tigers will have more room in their crowded rotation after dealing away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize ahead of Monday's trade deadline, but Verlander may need to get back on a mound by the middle of August to have a realistic shot at getting stretched back out enough to handle a traditional starting role by the time he returns from the 60-day injured list. Verlander has already announced that he will retire at the end of the season, so the Tigers might be willing to let the franchise icon make some abbreviated starts down the stretch as a final sendoff, especially if they're out of playoff contention.