Are Kate Upton & Justin Verlander dating?

Rumor mills are rife that Detroit Tigers pitching ace Justin Verlander and Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit cover model Kate Upton may be an item. Upton and Verlander have been seen together at the metro Detroit establishments over the past week.

Verlander, 29, was the starting pitcher for the Major League All Star Game Tuesday.

Both Upton and Verlander have remained mum on the issue. The pair recently appeared in two commercials marketing the “MLB 2K12” video game and its heavily publicized $1 million perfect game challenge.

Upton, 20, and Verlander have been spotted at various hangout places recently and that has the media buzzing that this might be a new hot couple!

According to CBS Detroit, “Staffers at Coyote Joe’s in Shelby Township, at 22 Mile and Ryan, confirmed the duo were very chummy Thursday night after reportedly taking in an Aerosmith concert. Upton, a Michigan native, was also spotted dancing around in a Tigers hat in Verlander’s suite at Comerica Park on Friday. [...] But witnesses at Coyote Joe’s said Upton was ‘hanging all over’ the ace.”

The pair was seen cozying around Detroit over the weekend. They were also present at Thursday’s Aerosmith concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Upton also took to Twitter, stating she was at the Tigers game on Friday.

Amanda Waynick, who was celebrating her 25th birthday at Coyote Joe’s in Shelby Township, saw the pair at the club. She managed to strike a pose with Upton, but failed to convince Varlander.

“I went up to him, told him it was my birthday and that he was my Tiger and asked if he would take a picture with me,” Waynick told Names & Faces Tuesday. “He laughed, kind of walked by me, but he said no.”

“I was like, ‘OK, fine, I don’t want a picture with you anyway.’ And he laughed at that, too.”

“She said happy birthday, posed for the picture, and that was really it,” she added.

“My mom always asks me if I’ve ever met (Verlander). Well, I did. But now I have to find a new Tiger as he turned me down,” she added, giggling. “(Doug) Fister’s looking pretty good now.”

Varlander was reportedly in a serious relationship with longtime girlfriend Emily Yuen. The status of their relationship remains unconfirmed even now that Varlander has been spotted with Upton at various places. Previously, in an interview to Men’s Journal in April, Varlander said about Emily, “She’s the one, but I am not ready.”