PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Justin Verlander can’t remember whether he’s on time or not. It’s been so long since he’s experienced anything that could be considered typical or usual in spring training that he’s struggling to figure out the timing of his progression toward the season.
“I’ve kind of forgotten exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Verlander joked Sunday at Clover Park. “It’s the first normal spring since 2019. So for me, so I’ve had to ask my agent and pitching coaches, ‘Hey, where was I at this time in this year?’ I can’t remember where I need to be.”
Who can blame him? Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockout, baseball hasn’t seen normalcy in spring training since 2019. Even this year isn’t quite as normal as years past considering the implementation of new rules and the World Baseball Classic.
