Verlander (shoulder) bounced back well from a bullpen session Thursday and said Friday that he's "definitely getting close to facing hitters," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Verlander didn't rule out facing hitters the next time he throws but said that will be decided by the team. A stint on the injured list to begin the season awaits him, and given that he has not yet faced hitters, the IL stint could be longer than the minimum. The 41-year-old right-hander is trending in the right direction, however.