Justin Verlander returns to battle Pirates Tuesday

DETROIT – Justin Verlander's long-awaited return from a spring training triceps injury lasted just two starts before the 32-year-old missed another start due to back pain last week.

Verlander, who allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings in Yankee Stadium on June 19, his last start, makes his second return Tuesday as the Tigers welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to town for a three-game interleague series.

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First Pitch: 7:08 p.m. on FSD

With Verlander on the disabled list, the Tigers went into PNC Park in mid-April and took two of three games from the Pirates en route to an 8-1 start to the year. Shane Greene and Alfredo Simon picked up wins in that series after Anibal Sanchez served up three homers in the opener for the team's first loss of the season.

Sanchez's opponent in that start, Gerrit Cole, will toe the rubber against Verlander Tuesday, looking to pick up his second win against Detroit. Cole allowed just three hits, two walks and one run against the Tigers while striking out eight batters in the first meeting.

Meanwhile Verlander, who carried a no-hitter into the 9th inning against the Pirates on May 18, 2012, has historically owned Clint Hurdle's starting nine, which looks like this:

Gregory Polanco, RF
Neil Walker, 2B
Andrew McCutchen, CF
Starling Marte, LF
Jung Ho Kang, 3B
Pedro Alvarez, 1B
Francisco Cervelli, DH
Jordy Mercer, SS
Chris Stewart, C

Pittsburgh's lineup is a combined 8-40 (.200) against Verlander with no home runs and 14 strikeouts.

Brad Ausmus will send out:

Anthony Gose, CF
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Victor Martinez, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
J.D. Martinez, RF
Nick Castellanos, 3B
James McCann, C
Jose Iglesias, SS

For a team that did little against Cole more than two months ago, the Tigers can't afford to be shut down once again. They trial the Kansas City Royals by six games in the AL Central Division and the New York Yankees by one game in the Wild Card race.

After three games with the Pirates, the hard-hitting Blue Jays will visit Comerica Park to cap off a 10-game home stand for the Tigers.