Verlander underwent core-muscle sugery last offseason. It was an operation that "had to affect a lot."
"I don't want to make excuses," he said to Fenech. "I definitely didn't talk about it last year, but after talking with the therapist this year, it definitely did have an effect, and I'm sure it had a pretty big one."
Fenech was able to talk to Verlander about the way he feels heading into the 2015 season.
Physically, Verlander said, he feels fine.
"Really good," he said. "I feel great."
And the difference, he said, is huge.
"I feel much stronger," he said.
Verlander struggled in 2014 with a 4.54 ERA, but he was able to achieve 15 wins because of a MLB-high 5.19 runs of support. He struggled in the strikeout category with 159, the second lowest in his career.
"Justin Verlander is as prime a pitcher as there is in the game of baseball," president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said during the caravan's stop at DTE Energy headquarters in Detroit.
"Last year, he was not the traditional Justin. But when you look at what he came back from with the surgery, I think he's going to go out and have a real big season for us."
Only time will tell with former American League Most Valuble Player. It all depends on how he feels going into the regular season, but right now, things seem right on track.
-Evan Petzold