Now that he's back throwing off a mound, a return this season seems well within reach. Astros GM James Click said during a pregame interview Sunday that Verlander (forearm) has progressed to throwing off a mound, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Verlander throws four pitches: a hard four-seam fastball averaging 94–95 mph (topping out at 102 ), a slider in the mid-to-high 80s, a 12–6 curveball around 80, and a changeupat 85–88 mph. Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that Verlander (forearm) "is a little further away than we would like, but he's closer to reality than it appeared like when he first went down," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Justin Verlander. If Verlander is cleared to make his 2020 debut during the final week of the regular season, he likely wouldn't be asked to handle a normal starter's workload in the outing. Verlander was shut down with a strained forearm after making just a single start this season. Verlander is making progress in his efforts to return from a forearm strain before the end of the season, though time is getting tight given that he's still yet to advance to mound work. The 37-year-old should miss the entire 2021 season as he carries a recovery timeline of 12-tl-14 months, but he hopes to continue his career when he's healthy, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. That said, it marks another step forward in the recovery process for Verlander, who previously built up to 55-to-60 pitches in a bullpen session. Verlander (forearm) will throw a simulated game Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Time is getting tight for him to pitch again before the end of the regular season, however, and he'll likely make no more than one fairly brief appearance if he returns at all. Verlander (forearm) will throw a simulated game Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.. Verlander is slated to throw 3-to-4 innings against live … ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. June 13, 2015: Detroit Tigers activated RHP Justin Verlander from the 15-day disabled list. His slider has ev… Verlander threw 75 pitches during his last workout Wednesday, 24 of which came against hitters. It doesn't sound like his return is imminent, which is not surprising as his most recent progression was throwing 20 pitches, but Baker sounds more optimistic that he could get his ace back before the end of the season. It was reported that Verlander should miss the entire season with a significant elbow injury, but manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that the right-hander underwent an MRI on Saturday and will be shut down for a couple of weeks before he's re-evaluated. Verlander (forearm) threw 20 pitches Sunday and felt good afterward, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Verlander was shut down with a forearm strain after making just one start this season, though he denied initial reports that he'd been ruled out for the year. Verlander landed on the injured list with a strained right forearm after making just one start this season, though he denied initial reports that he was done for the year. The right-hander is expected to serve as a starter once he returns to the Astros' pitching staff, but it's unclear how many pitches he'll be able to throw if he pitches again during the regular season. The veteran right-hander remains without an official timeline for his return, but the fact he's already throwing 50-plus pitches off the mound is an encouraging sign for his recovery. Verlander will be shut down for a couple of weeks with a right forearm strain, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Verlander (forearm) announced Saturday that he'll require Tommy John surgery, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. The recovery timeline is anticipated to be 12-to-14 months, so the 37-year-old should miss the entire 2021 season. That could of course still wind up being the case, as it won't become clear whether or not he has a shot to return until after the Astros see how his arm responds to renewed activity. His four-seam fastball has an "elite" spin rate of over 2500 rpm according to Statcast, giving it a late "tailing" action that cuts inside to righties and away from lefties. Verlander's arm was reportedly tender during his start Friday, which prompted further evaluation. Verlander (forearm) said on his personal Twitter page Sunday that he hopes to return in 2020. The exact details of the injury are not clear at the moment, but it looks like his season is over. If all goes well, he should be nearing his return to game action. While the 37-year-old expressed optimism about his status when the injury first surfaced, whether he'll be ready to take the mound at some point in 2020 remains to be seen. Verlander (forearm) hopes to resume throwing next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Verlander has now made an important first step in proving the initial reports that he would miss the entire season with a forearm strain incorrect. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. The best-case scenario is for Verlander (forearm) to return at the end of the month, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. © 2005-2020 CBS INTERACTIVE. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 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