There have been rumblings among scouts for several weeks that Verlander might be hurting.
Former Tigers great Jack Morris, a broadcaster with the Twins, added fuel to that speculation, telling the Detroit News: "There's something wrong with his shoulder. You can see it in the way he's throwing. I know, because I've been there with the bursitis I had."
Verlander says he's fine, and Tigers management says he just has a mechanical flaw in his delivery. It will be interesting to see how Verlander does Tuesday night when he faces Kansas City, a club he has dominated (3-0, 1.33 ERA) in four career starts.
On Baseball: STATS 'N' STUFF
Cleveland lefty
Cliff Lee has been one of the best stories in baseball this season.
He won 46 games for the Indians from 2004 to 2006, but struggled mightily in 2007 and ended up in triple A. He was left off the Indians' postseason roster and was barely talked about in spring training.
Lee won a job in the rotation and has been spectacular since. He is 6-0 with a major-league-best 0.81 ERA. He has not allowed a run in 302/3 innings on the road and hasn't walked a batter in his last 28 innings.
Since World War II, only three pitchers have won their first six starts and had a lower ERA than Lee. They were Fernando Valenzuela ('81 Dodgers), 0.33; Roger Clemens ('91 Red Sox), 0.73; and Pedro Martinez ('97 Expos), 0.79. All three went on to win the Cy Young.
Lee pitched seven shutout innings at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. If he keeps it up, he'll pitch in July at Yankee Stadium - in the All-Star Game.
Contact staff writer Jim Salisbury at 215-854-4983 or jsalisbury@phillynews.com. 
