A.J. Hinch has gone from hoping Justin Verlander pitches again to identifying the day he would like to see it happen.

The target is Saturday, Sept. 26, at Comerica Park, during the Tigers’ planned celebration of Verlander’s career.

Chris McCosky reported Sunday that Hinch said Detroit hopes Verlander will be healthy enough to pitch on the final Saturday of the regular season during “Ver-Fest.” Hinch stressed that it is not a firm schedule because Verlander still has several steps to complete.

That distinction matters. Detroit has not announced Verlander as its Sept. 26 starter, and a 43-year-old pitcher who has already had multiple comeback attempts disrupted by injuries does not get penciled into a rotation two weeks in advance.

Still, this is considerably different from hoping he pitches “sometime” before retirement.

The Tigers finally have a date they are trying to reach.

September 26 Is Now More Than a Celebration Date

Detroit already had Sept. 25 and 26 circled for reasons having nothing to do with the rotation.

The Tigers’ official Justin Verlander career celebration will span those two days at Comerica Park. Friday includes a Verlander bobblehead, an Orange Out and a fireworks tribute featuring his old warmup music. Saturday includes a commemorative hooded jersey and more of the organization’s farewell celebration.

Now imagine adding one more item to Saturday’s itinerary:

Justin Verlander pitching.

Baseball rarely arranges endings that cleanly, and Verlander’s body has spent most of 2026 proving why nobody should assume this one will cooperate.

He has appeared in only one Major League game this season while dealing with left hip inflammation and a subsequent hamstring strain. He announced in July that 2026 would be his final season, turning every rehab setback since then into another threat that his March start in Arizona might have been the final appearance of his career.

Sept. 26 gives that comeback attempt a destination.

Verlander Has Already Seen Comebacks Disappear

There is good reason for Hinch’s caution.

MLB reported in August that Verlander had already seen two planned Comerica Park returns scratched because of injury, which explains why neither the Tigers nor Verlander has been eager to make promises. Hinch said at the time that he sensed Verlander was building toward at least one more appearance but acknowledged Detroit was not yet in position to pencil anything in.

Progress has accelerated since then.

Verlander threw from the mound Saturday with hitters standing in the batter’s box, though they did not swing. MLB’s latest injury report says a rehab assignment could follow as Detroit continues trying to get him back for at least one final appearance.

That follows weeks of Verlander pushing for one last Tigers comeback despite the shrinking calendar.

There are still boxes to check.

Now we know where Detroit hopes those boxes lead.

This Would Be the Ending Detroit Wanted All Along

The significance of Sept. 26 has almost nothing to do with whether Verlander can add another win or a few strikeouts to a Hall of Fame résumé that stopped needing decoration years ago.

The Tigers brought him back because there was something fitting about finishing where all of this started.

Injuries nearly ruined that idea.

A final appearance during his own celebration weekend would rescue at least part of it.

Detroit should not push Verlander onto the mound simply because the calendar creates a perfect scene. He has to be physically capable of competing. Hinch’s refusal to call this a firm schedule is exactly the right approach.

But for the first time, this comeback has something more specific than hope attached to it.

Saturday, Sept. 26. Comerica Park. Ver-Fest.

If Verlander’s body cooperates for two more weeks, Detroit may get the farewell start this entire reunion has been trying to reach.