When Justin Verlander credited his wife Kate Upton for helping him cope with mental health issues following his shoulder surgery
In 2018, New York Mets All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander credited his supermodel wife Kate Upton for helping him cope with mental health issues following his shoulder surgery.
On January 9, 2014, Verlander underwent core muscle surgery and struggled to perform on the diamond in the first half of the 2014 MLB season. In a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits in only one inning.
His Tigers coach asked him to leave the game and get an MRI after he complained of right shoulder soreness. On the way to the clubhouse, Verlander stopped on some stairs and cried out in sheer fear of the need to put a full stop to his career.
In an interview with Bleacher Report in 2018, Verlander looked back at his injury struggles and how his wife Upton was a source of motivation for him to keep going.
"She was instrumental in me not … like, jumping off a bridge. I was depressed and kind of just upset at the world and trying to hide my own shit. F***, man. She was what I needed," said Verlander lauding his wife.
Kate Upton says Justin Verlander got 'blackout drunk' after loss in 2014 ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/kate-u… http://t.co/JPHUmhqjhK
"Kate Upton says Justin Verlander got 'blackout drunk' after loss in 2014." - For The Win
She took Verlander to her recommended physical therapist, Dr. Annie Gow. In the next few months, the celebrity pair put joint efforts to focus on improving Verlander’s soft tissue and joint mobilization.
Gradually, he recovered with proper guidance from Gow. However, a right triceps strain in 2015 forced him to miss the first half of the MLB season.
Justin Verlander's stellar comeback on the mound
After several roadblocks in 2014 and 2015, former Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander produced a comeback in the 2016 MLB.
With his 1,981st strikeout, Verlander passed Jack Morris for second place on the list of all-time Tiger strikeout leaders. In July 2016, he received the American League Pitcher of the Month award.
Verlander was also named as a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award by the BBWAA at the end of the season. However, he lost to Rick Porcello by five votes in the votes.
Kate Upton tweeted this after Rick Porcello won the 2016 Cy Young over husband Justin Verlander. In the following years since lol well ..
17’ Verlander: 3.36
17’ Porcello: 4.65
18’ Verlander: 2.52
18’ Porcello: 4.28
19’ Verlander: 2.68
19’ Porcello: 5.54 https://t.co/cavS0lpMfE
"Kate Upton tweeted this after Rick Porcello won the 2016 Cy Young over husband Justin Verlander." - Fuzzy
The fact that Justin Verlander once again became one of the top pitchers in the game was encouraging for fans, despite losing the second Cy Young award of his career.