Justin Verlander says Kate Upton has rescued him from depression

He shared: "Who knows, if I'm even here if it wasn't for her? She was instrumental in me not, like, jumping off a bridge. I was depressed and kind of just upset at the world and trying to hide my own s**t. F**k, man. She was what I needed."

Justin has also shared that 26-year-old Kate - who recently announced she's expecting her first child with her spouse - was a hugely supportive influence during his recovery from injury.

The pitcher - who currently plays for Major League Baseball side the Houston Astros after 13 seasons at the Detroit Tigers - told Bleacher Report: "I don't like to talk to people about being hurt. As athletes, you're not supposed to. It's an excuse ... But she was someone I could talk to. I mean, basically a therapist. Somebody I could trust with ... worries about my career. Worries about, can I make it? Worries about what I'm going through to get back. And just the overall s**ttiness of it all."

Kate aided her husband's recovery when she suggested he should seek a second opinion about a shoulder injury.

The decision actually helped to hasten Justin's return to competitive action.

She said: "You would never expect that when you get to the major leagues, you're not receiving the best of the best.

"As a woman, you learn to always question everything everyone is telling you. My industry? My perspective of things? We can't depend on anyone. Everything is our responsibility."

Meanwhile, Kate announced her pregnancy news in an Instagram post in July.

The American model posted a photograph of herself sporting a slight baby bump while standing on a balcony of a room at the W South Beach hotel in Miami.

She captioned the image: "#PregnantinMiami @justinverlander [sunshine and loveheart emojis] (sic)"