SI Swimsuit gave Justin Verlander a healthy start to retirement with a look back at Kate Upton’s cover photo shoot

Justin Verlander took the mound for the final time Saturday and allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work while striking out six. It was only the second start of the season for the veteran right-hander.

He was taken out of the game by his daughter Genevieve in a spectacle that, if I’m honest, seemed like a bit much. There were tears, if you like that sort of thing, and he left the mound to retire.

Genevieve Verlander runs to hug her father, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, as catcher Dillon Dingler looks on during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

The Tigers rallied in the 9th and ended up winning the game clean on a two-run homer launched by Eduardo Valencia. This victory erased what would have been another defeat in Verlander’s record.

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Even with a longer-than-usual visit to the mound, in an era where the emphasis was on the pace of the game and an unauthorized person on the field was participating, it felt like something was missing.

Justin Verlander and Kate Upton walk the carpet during the MLB Red Carpet Show at Nationals Park in Washington, DC (Alex Trautwig/MLB)

Sure, Verlander was making his final debut, but his wife Kate Upton was also retiring after more than a decade of memorable moments in Major League Baseball as the girlfriend and wife of a future Hall of Famer.

Justin Verlander’s retirement announcement comes with some much-needed advice for SI swimsuit legend Kate Upton.

On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit stepped in and bid Verlanders farewell with a look back at the model’s 2024 cover photo shoot.

“In honor of Justin Verlander’s retirement last weekend, a look back at @kateupton’s 2024 cover shoot💙🧡,” SI Swimsuit wrote on Instagram.

We can now respectfully call this a career for Justin Verlander.

You can’t tell the whole story of his greatness without mentioning his bikini model wife. It is now done. After all, she’s been there for a lot of ups and downs.

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LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 19: Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and his wife Kate Upton pose for a photo with their daughter during the All-Star Red Carpet Show at LA Live on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (MLB photos via Getty Images)

He’s now riding off into the sunset at age 43 with World Series rings, Cy Young awards, a ton of career wins and a 34-year-old Kate Upton, who still has her fastball.

Not a bad way to retire after building a legendary career.