LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander will miss his scheduled spring training start Thursday but hopes to take his first scheduled regular-season turn for the Detroit Tigers on April 8 against the Minnesota Twins.
The 2011 American League Cy Young Award winner and MVP left Friday's exhibition outing with a cramp in his right triceps. He threw Sunday but still had soreness Monday.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he expects Verlander to follow David Price in the rotation and pitch the second game of the season. Ausmus said Anibal Sanchez would move up, if necessary.
"We just have to wait and see," Ausmus said. "He has to pitch sometime before the regular season."
Ausmus said it was possible Verlander might throw in a minor league game before the team heads north.
"With the off day [April 7], we could conceivably pitch him on Sunday [April 12] against Cleveland, so he'd get those extra four days," Ausmus said. "So we could give him a little extra time if necessary. We're not there yet."
Information from ESPN's Jayson Stark and The Associated Press contributed to this report.