A proper rotator cuff pressure delayed Matt Vierling’s season debut till Might 23, and he performed in solely 4 video games earlier than irritation in that very same proper shoulder despatched him again to the injured checklist. The Tigers utilityman’s luck could also be beginning to change, nonetheless, as a go to with Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week resulted in what Vierling described as “completely the best-case state of affairs” of simply irritation.
“I used to be nervous it may be one thing extra critical, however the MRI confirmed that every part was tremendous structurally….I’ll begin throwing [Sunday] and construct up from there. There isn’t any precise timeline however hopefully before later,” Vierling instructed the Detroit Information’ Chris McCosky and different reporters yesterday. Vierling additionally famous that he obtained an injection in his shoulder throughout his appointment.
Vierling is the one place participant on the Tigers’ injured checklist, after a swath of early-season accidents left the membership closely depleted within the outfield. Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez have now each returned from the IL, Zach McKinstry stays a Swiss Military knife across the diamond, and Javier Baez has additionally advanced from a shortstop into extra of a utility participant (and a part-time middle fielder).
All that’s lacking now’s Vierling, who stuffed a multi-positional position for Detroit in 2023-24 by suiting up at third base and in any respect three outfield positions, in addition to a few appearances at first and second base. Vierling additionally hit a good .259/.320/.406 over 1097 plate appearances over these two seasons, and his right-handed bat might help steadiness out a Tigers lineup that’s nonetheless heavy in left-handed hitters.
Turning to the pitching aspect of the injured checklist, Tigers supervisor A.J. Hinch offered McCosky and firm with an replace on Reese Olson’s standing. Olson obtained an injection in his infected proper ring finger final Wednesday, and threw a bullpen session on Saturday. The subsequent step shall be incorporating changeups in Olson’s throwing classes and future bullpens, which is the important thing step because it was throwing the changeup that led to the irritation within the first place.
Olson elevated his changeup utilization this season, throwing the pitch 25.3% of the time and making it his chief secondary providing behind his sinker (31%). A median pitch for Olson over his first two MLB seasons, the changeup was now all of the sudden his simplest providing as per Statcast’s run worth metric, with the changeup registering a +5 this 12 months. This was, in fact, over the small pattern measurement of 48 2/3 innings in 2025, and the rise in effectiveness got here at a worth within the type of this IL journey. Olson hasn’t pitched since Might 17, and it appears to be like like he’ll proceed to be sidelined into the second half of June.
Jose Urquidy gained’t be an element (if in any respect) for the Tigers till a lot later within the 2025 season, because the right-hander is sort of precisely one 12 months faraway from a Tommy John surgical procedure. Urquidy inked a one-year, $1MM assured take care of Detroit in March that offers the Tigers a $4MM membership possibility for 2026, primarily making this season a wait-and-see state of affairs for the staff in gauging Urquidy’s restoration from rehab.
Urquidy hit a giant checkpoint in his course of on Friday, as Hinch stated the righty threw a bullpen session on the Tigers’ spring complicated in Lakeland. Many steps stay within the throwing development, and McCosky writes that “Urquidy continues to be possibly a month or extra away from a rehab project.” If all goes properly, Urquidy may presumably be an element for Detroit in late August or September, which might permit him to at the very least financial institution a couple of MLB innings as a bridge in direction of a completely wholesome 2026.
With the Cubs visiting Detroit for a sequence, former Tiger Matthew Boyd was on the town reuniting with some previous pals within the clubhouse and on the media beat. Boyd was a free agent this final winter, and he instructed MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery that he had some talks with the Tigers a few doable deal earlier than ultimately going to Chicago on a two-year, $29MM contract. That signing has labored out splendidly up to now, as Boyd has a 3.10 ERA over 68 2/3 innings and has been a stabilizing pressure inside the Cubs’ injury-riddled rotation.
Boyd has spent eight of his 11 MLB seasons in a Detroit uniform, although the second of his two stints with the Tigers didn’t finish properly. The southpaw signed a one-year, $10MM take care of the Tigers through the 2022-23 offseason, however he produced solely a 5.45 ERA over 71 innings earlier than a Tommy John surgical procedure ended his 2023 season and stored him on the shelf for many of the 2024 marketing campaign. Boyd was in a position to return by the tip of 2024 and, as a member of the Guardians, seemed very sharp in posting a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 regular-season innings after which an 0.77 ERA over 11 2/3 postseason frames.
That efficiency was sufficient to land Boyd two assured years from the Cubs, plus the contract accommodates a mutual possibility for 2027. It’s doable that giving Boyd a second 12 months was an excessive amount of for the Tigers, because the membership was targeted totally on shorter-term additions to its pitching employees. Detroit introduced Jack Flaherty (for 2 years and $35MM, with an opt-out after 2025) and Alex Cobb (one 12 months, $15MM) into the fold this previous winter as alternate options to a different reunion with Boyd.
