Detroit Tigers legend Justin Verlander has explained why he plans to retire after the 2026 MLB season, pointing to the physical toll of his 21st major-league campaign.

The 43-year-old Verlander announced in July that the 2026 season would be his last after injuries limited him to just one appearance to this point. Bleacher Report shared a clip Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, from Verlander’s appearance on the On Base with Mookie Betts show, where the three-time Cy Young Award winner explained the benchmark he had long set for walking away from baseball.

“I've said for my entire career, I want to play till the wheels are falling off. You know, here it goes. The wheels are falling off.”

Justin Verlander explains his decision to retire at the end of the season.

🚨 Watch new tell-all interview: https://t.co/SyeXd5hzEa pic.twitter.com/cSA7ztizCY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2026

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Verlander’s final season has been interrupted by lower-body injuries since his March 30 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings. The Tigers then placed him on the injured list with left hip inflammation before a left hamstring strain prolonged his absence.

The Tigers brought Verlander back in February on a one-year, $13 million contract, returning him to the organization that selected him second overall in 2004. He debuted in 2005 and has compiled 266 wins, 3,554 strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards, 2011 AL MVP honors, 10 All-Star selections and two World Series titles with the Houston Astros.

Verlander completed a bullpen session Tuesday, and Detroit announced he will start Saturday against Pittsburgh at Comerica Park. It would be his first home start as a Tiger since August 2017 and, barring a setback, the final start of his career.

The Tigers will honor the future first-ballot Hall of Famer Friday and Saturday as he prepares to finish his career where it began.