The Tigers announced that right-hander Alex Lange has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Bailey Horn has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full.
It’s been quite an odyssey for Lange in recent years. He took over the closer’s role in Detroit in 2023, recording 26 saves that year. He tossed 66 innings with a 3.68 earned run average. His 15.6% walk rate was awful but he struck out 27.4% of batters faced while getting grounders on 50.6% of balls in play.
His results backed up early in 2024. He started the season with a 4.34 ERA through 18 2/3 innings. His 23.3% strikeout rate, 18.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate all moved in the wrong direction relative to the year before.
The Tigers optioned him to the minors in late May. He injured himself a few weeks later, requiring lat surgery in mid-June. The Tigers didn’t announce an expected recovery timeline but it has taken Lange 14 months to get back to the majors. They put him on the major league 60-day IL when they signed John Brebbia back in February.
Now Lange finally gets a chance to get things back on track after all those challenges. For what it’s worth, his recent rehab numbers have been similar to his previous performance. He tossed 13 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.73 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 13% walk rate and 62.1% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
The Harris bullpen roulette wheel continues to spin. Will he hit on a winner soon?
Have you not been watching Finnegan since they got him?
Hope Alex can be effective and contribute. Before he was injured he was either very effective or terrible.
His power curve was the most unhittable pitch in 2023 among all pitchers as measured by swings and misses. He also featured a 96 mph fastball and a changeup. Lange has the talent when he hits the zone. Welcome back, Alex!
Scott harris owns the “tiger fans” that thought he did bad at the deadline. Tigers have 3 or 4 good arms coming back soon.
Finnegan and Morton deals were “solid”……the rest of the deadline filth like Paddack, Montero, Heuer, injured Sewald leave a lot to be desired. Also, Lange has not been useful or relevant since 2023.
Do they have 3 or 4 bats coming to?
Cue up some old Floyd, Alex Lange he’s back again ! Sure wish we could get a Keith like deal to McGonigle so he could come up Aug 31 for this years playoffs. That’s probably pie in the sky, but sure wish it could happen as a spark. Still they say there is some other’s that could come up before the first, but if not, there is always next season. GO TIGERS !
That could be the hard throwing impact arm they didn’t trade for at the deadline if he has sorted some things out. If that gamble pays off then between adding him and Finngean they got their two BP arms, plus anything the get from Montero or Sewald is gravy.
Once their best bullpen arm. Reliever performance is so up and down.
Good to see Lange making it back to the Show…beleive Hinch/Fetter will ease him back into it by using him in low leverage situations for the next few weeks and hopefully he’ll be back to form and a force down the stretch