Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 29

SI Swimsuit Salutes Justin Verlander's Retirement With Kate Upton's 2024 Cover Shoot

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 29

SI Swimsuit Salutes Justin Verlander's Retirement With Kate Upton's 2024 Cover Shoot

Q: Why did Justin Verlander risk an injury-shortened season for one last start in Detroit—and did the farewell become his defining final memory?

He did it because he did not want his career to end in rehab or in a March box score; he wanted to finish on a major-league mound in Detroit, in front of Tigers fans, wearing the uniform where it began. Verlander said as much in the days before the start. After a season wrecked by left hip inflammation and a left hamstring strain, he acknowledged he “skipped a lot of steps” in rehab and accepted the risk of another serious injury. The reason was emotional, not competitive. Detroit was out of contention, and he was not chasing a milestone. He said the support from Tigers fans and the chance to give them one more start at Comerica Park were major drivers in pushing back. That choice turned the outing into more than a ceremonial cameo. He threw 91 pitches, went 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs and struck out six, showing he still wanted to compete rather than simply appear. Yes, the farewell likely became his defining final memory. The most lasting image was not a statistic but his daughter Genevieve unexpectedly running to the mound, a surprise arranged by A.J. Hinch and Kate Upton. Verlander said he was blindsided and “sobbing,” then walked off hand-in-hand with her to a standing ovation. The Tigers’ ninth-inning walk-off win only strengthened the storybook ending. For a pitcher whose career was built on intensity and durability, the final memory became family, gratitude and Detroit—an ending he was willing to risk for.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 29

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit marked Justin Verlander's retirement by reposting Kate Upton's 2024 cover shoot on Instagram, calling it a tribute to his final weekend in baseball.
Saturday's farewell came in Detroit, where the 43-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts in just his second start of the season.
Genevieve Verlander joined the mound visit before he exited in tears, and Detroit later turned the game into a walk-off win on Eduardo Valencia's two-run homer.
The post cast Upton as part of Verlander's baseball story, linking the end of his career to the couple's long public presence around MLB.

Sources

Fox News1h ago

Justin Verlander Retires; SI Swimsuit Honors With Kate Upton 2024 Cover Shoot Look Back

Sports Illustrated7h ago

Justin Verlander Opens Up About Wife Kate Upton, Family Joining Him in MLB Farewell

fishersasphalt.com.au5h ago

Justin Verlander Wife: Who Is Kate Upton? Inside Their Marriage, Children and Emotional 2026 Farewell – Fishers Asphalt

7 Sources

Why did Justin Verlander risk an injury-shortened season for one last start in Detroit—and did the farewell become his defining final memory?

What did Kate Upton, Genevieve, and the Tigers’ planned tribute reveal about how sports legends now script their own endings?

How does Verlander’s emotional Comerica Park goodbye reshape the way fans measure a Hall of Fame career: by statistics, championships, or final moments?