During a broadcast before the Home Run Derby, former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez made an on-air error while discussing the career of pitcher Justin Verlander.
While interviewing Verlander, who had recently announced his decision to retire after the 2026 season, Rodriguez asked, "To the young ones that are out there watching, how do you explain being a late draft pick and being designated for assignment a couple of times with two different teams, right?"
Verlander quickly corrected Rodriguez, stating, "Me? You’ve got the wrong notes." The Detroit Tigers pitcher has never been designated for assignment in his 22-year career. He was the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft.
Rodriguez, laughing and acknowledging the mistake, said, "I’m kidding, I’m kidding," before proceeding to ask Verlander about his sustained success and how he remained a top performer later in his career.
Verlander, a 10-time All-Star, revealed his retirement plans last week on social media. He explained that he wanted his career to end when "the game told me when it was time."
This season, Verlander has made only one start, a loss to the Cardinals, before being placed on the injured list with a hip injury that sidelined him for three months. He later experienced a hamstring injury that caused him to be scratched from a scheduled return start. He is currently not expected to be activated soon.
The Tigers currently sit 6.5 games behind the division leaders in the AL Central. Verlander expressed a desire to return to help his team this season following a difficult first half.