KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The hope for Justin Verlander being ready for the start of the regular season is dimming.
Verlander left last Friday's game in Dunedin, Fla., with two out in the third inning because of what the team called a cramp in his right triceps muscle.
Verlander did some light tossing Sunday but did not throw again until today.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Verlander threw at 60 percent from 60 feet.
"Felt pretty good. Still felt it a little bit but definitely felt better," Ausmus said. "I wouldn't say light toss, a little bit firmer than that."
Ausmus had said that Verlander would need to pitch in a minor league game Friday in order to make his first start next Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins in the first series of the regular season.
Ausmus said Verlander would definitely not throw in a minor league game Friday, putting next Wednesday in doubt.
"It's still a bit of a stretch right now but we won't wave it off yet," Ausmus said.
Ausmus has said that if Verlander couldn't make next Wednesday, then Anibal Sanchez would pitch in that game.
The Tigers could put Verlander on the disabled list retroactive to last Friday and he would still be eligible to come off of it in time to pitch a week from Sunday in Cleveland.
EMERGENCY CATCHERS GET SOME WORK
The Tigers hope the situation never arises, but now they can say they're ready if it does.
Alex Avila and James McCann are the team's two catchers this season.
In the unlikely instance that both of them were hurt or unavailable during the same game, the Tigers would have to turn to an emergency catcher.
Since Victor Martinez and his twice-repaired left knee are no longer in the catching game anymore, the Tigers would have to go with either Hernan Perez or Andrew Romine.
So in the last two days, both Perez and Romine have caught in minor league games.
"I'm pretty sure they were just getting us out there to at least say hey, you guys got an inning or two in during the spring so if it happens and we have to have one of us in there, it won't be the first time that we've done it," Romine said.
Perez was first, catching Monday before coming over to play first base on the major league side.
"That was good," Perez said. "It was exciting. It was fun."
Bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer went over to watch both of those players catch.
"(Perez) was fine," Billmeyer said. "He's got soft hands, no panic. In an emergency, he would be fine."
Romine caught Tuesday.
"I thought it was fun," Romine said. "Very hard to do. It's a difficult job. I didn't know what his pitches were, I didn't know where he wanted them, what counts to throw what things in, which is stuff that you would go over beforehand if I really was catching. Other than that, nobody stole so I didn't have to worry about that, thank God. Got a couple balls in the dirt, normal stuff, just kind of getting used to seeing guys swinging and having everything happen. It's obviously different than a bullpen."
Romine was catching Thad Weber.
"He got comfortable the second inning," Billmeyer said of Romine. "The pitcher was getting hit pretty good."
Romine said he used McCann's glove and gained a new appreciation for what catchers go through.
"It's not a job I would want," Romine said. "Having to catch bullpens and be a catcher. My legs were tired after the first inning. I can't imagine catching a whole game or catching a whole season. My legs aren't in catching shape. Ground ball shape."
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COMPLETE TIGERS SPRING TRAINING 2015 COVERAGE
