MLBTR Podcast: The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Tarik Skubal winning his arbitration hearing against the Tigers (1:30)
- The Tigers loading up the rotation by signing Framber Valdez and also Justin Verlander but losing Reese Olson for the year (13:25)
- The six-player trade between the Red Sox and Brewers headlined by Caleb Durbin and Kyle Harrison, with Milwaukee then signing Luis Rengifo (24:15)
- The Orioles signing Chris Bassitt and losing Jackson Holliday to injury (35:35)
- The Diamondbacks signing Zac Gallen and potentially losing Corbin Carroll to the injured list (44:30)
- The Braves losing Spencer Schwellenbach and maybe Hurston Waldrep while showing little urgency about bolstering the rotation (52:20)
- Tony Clark stepping down as MLBPA executive director, recorded as the news was still trickling out (59:15)
Check out our past episodes!
- Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, And More! – listen here
- Examining MLB’s Parity Situation – Also, Bellinger, Peralta, Robert, And Gore – listen here
- What The Tucker And Bichette Contracts Mean For Baseball – Also, Nolan Arenado And Ranger Suarez – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Reese Olson To Miss 2026 Season Following Shoulder Surgery
Feb. 11: Olson tells Chris McCosky of the Detroit News that he reinjured his shoulder last October, several months after the initial injury. He knew surgery was possible at that point, but he’d have missed the entire 2026 season even he went under the knife right away, so he opted to try to rehab for the next few months, figuring he had nothing to lose. Obviously, the rehab process didn’t prove sufficient, and he’ll now aim to be back on the mound in 2027.
Feb. 10: Tigers right-hander Reese Olson is done for the year after undergoing a right shoulder labral repair, the team announced. Olson has been placed on the 60-day IL, along with fellow right-hander Jackson Jobe. The moves will open up 40-man roster spots for recent free agent additions Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander.
Olson’s 2025 season ended in late July due to a right shoulder strain. There had been rumblings that he might not be ready for Opening Day, but there hadn’t been any indication that he’d be sidelined for an extended time. His surgery went down on Feb. 2, per the team announcement. Jobe’s move to the 60-day IL was anticipated. He had Tommy John surgery in June and is set to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season.
The Valdez and Verlander signings make more sense following the Olson revelation. Detroit will now have Valdez and Tarik Skubal at the top of the rotation, followed in some order by Verlander, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize. Troy Melton will serve as a depth option. Jobe could join the mix later in the season.
The 26-year-old Olson has been a reliable member of the Detroit rotation since his debut in 2023. He’s compiled a 3.60 ERA with decent strikeout and walk numbers across 56 big-league appearances. Injuries have been the main limiting factor. Olson missed the majority of the second half in 2024 with a shoulder strain. He missed time in the middle of last season with finger inflammation. Olson made it back for just four games after the finger issue before going down with the most recent shoulder strain.
Detroit acquired Olson from the Brewers straight up for Daniel Norris at the 2021 trade deadline. He finished that season at Double-A in the Tigers’ system. Olson spiked a 33.1% strikeout rate in a repeat of the level in 2022. He earned a promotion to Triple-A in 2023, where he continued to miss bats at a well-above-average clip. Olson’s 6.38 ERA with Toledo didn’t suggest a callup was imminent, though his FIP was more than a run lower. He made 18 starts with Detroit that season, including a dominant September where he allowed five earned runs across five appearances.
Olson hasn’t been able to replicate the strikeout upside he showed in the minor leagues, despite a pair of plus swing-and-miss pitches. The righty’s changeup and slider both had whiff rates above 42% in 2024 and 2025. Olson has posted an identical 12.7% swinging-strike rate in each of the past two seasons. The arsenal just hasn’t translated to punchouts. Olson has been right around league average in strikeout rate at the MLB level. He hasn’t reached a strikeout per inning in any season with the Tigers.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
AL Central Notes: Ragans, Sewald, Olson, Brennan
Cole Ragans is set to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday, with a scheduled two-inning start planned with Triple-A Omaha. It has now been over three months since Ragans was sidelined by a rotator cuff strain, and if the southpaw is able to make it back to the Royals rotation before the season is over, it won’t be in a full-fledged starting role. “We know we don’t have the time to get him built up to five or six innings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star), indicating that Ragans would still be a starter, but perhaps in a piggyback capacity or as the lead pitcher of a bullpen game.
Seth Lugo was just placed on the 15-day IL earlier this week due to a back strain, and Kris Bubic‘s season was ended by a rotator cuff strain in late July. Despite these and other injuries, the Royals’ pitching staff has still been the biggest factor in keeping the team afloat in the wild card race, as Kansas City’s offense has remained inconsistent. If the Royals can stick around in the playoff hunt until late September, getting Ragans back in even a limited capacity might be a huge boost in helping K.C. return to the postseason.
More from around the AL Central…
- Paul Sewald began a rehab assignment with the Tigers‘ high-A affiliate on Thursday. Sewald hasn’t pitched since July 11 when he was still a member of the Guardians, and his placement on Detroit’ 60-day IL means that he can’t be activated until September 10 at the absolute earliest. Though Sewald remains on the mend with a right shoulder strain, the Tigers felt comfortable enough in his ability to return this season that the righty was acquired from the Guards at the deadline. Shoulder problems have limited Sewald to only 15 1/3 innings this season, and he has a 4.42 ERA over his last 55 MLB frames with Cleveland and Arizona during the 2024-25 campaigns.
- Turning to another pitcher on the Tigers‘ 60-day injured list, Reese Olson has started a throwing progression as he works his way back from his own right shoulder strain. Ramping up throwing work now might give Olson a chance at making a playoff roster — he was placed directly on the 60-day IL on July 28, so he is only eligible to return for the last couple of games of Detroit’s regular-season schedule. Even the slightest setback would almost surely shut Olson down for 2025 entirely, and even if healthy, it remains to be seen if the Tigers would entrust a playoff roster spot to a pitcher coming off such a long layoff. Olson has pitched well as a starter over his three seasons in Motown, but would likely be used as a reliever in the playoffs since he doesn’t have enough time to fully rebuild his arm strength.
- Guardians outfielder Will Brennan underwent a sports hernia surgery to correct a lingering groin injury, according to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. Brennan’s 2025 season was already over due to a Tommy John surgery back in June, but even after the TJ procedure and his latest surgery, Brennan is expected to be ready for the start of Cleveland’s spring camp in February. The outfielder played in 252 games with the Guardians in a part-time capacity in 2023-24, but after starting 2025 in the minors and then getting injured, Brennan appeared in just six MLB contests this year.
Tigers To Place Reese Olson On 60-Day IL With Shoulder Strain
The Tigers are placing right-hander Reese Olson on the 60-day injured list due to a shoulder strain. Jason Beck of MLB.com was among those to relay the news. That will open up a 40-man roster spot for Chris Paddack, who is reportedly being acquired from the Twins. Beck adds that outfielder Parker Meadows has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a quad strain. Infielder/outfielders Andy Ibáñez and Ryan Kreidler have been recalled to take the active roster spots of Olson and Meadows.
The news on Olson sheds more light on the club’s decision to acquire Paddack. Olson had started against the Blue Jays on Thursday and gone 5 2/3 innings. Per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, Olson first felt discomfort on Saturday during a bullpen session.
That meant that, coming into today, the Detroit rotation was down to Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty. They recently called up prospect Troy Melton, but he allowed six earned runs in his first big league start. Keider Montero was recently optioned to the minors.
Paddack isn’t an ace but he’s a strike-throwing veteran who lengthens the overall group. The Tigers also have Alex Cobb, Jackson Jobe, Ty Madden, Jose Urquidy and Sawyer Gipson-Long on the IL. Adding Olson to that pile seemingly prompted them to go out and add Paddack.
What’s still unclear is if Olson will be available for the postseason. Per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the door is still open for that, though it depends on how things develop between now and then. Perhaps the Tigers will look to make another rotation addition in the coming days, depending on how things develop with Olson.
There’s also a bit of a position player shuffle today, with Meadows hitting the IL again. He missed the first couple of months of the season due to issues in the musculocutaneous nerve in his right arm. Since coming off the IL, he has hit just .200/.270/.296. Now his frustrating season continues with another injury setback, though it’s unclear how long he’ll be out.
Matt Vierling has also been playing some center field lately and could take over for Meadows, though he’s not having a great season either, currently sporting a .210/.306/.226 line. Javier Báez played some center earlier this year but has retaken the shortstop job more recently. If Báez were to go back out to the grass, Zach McKinstry could move from third to short, with guys like Ibáñez and Kreidler helping to fill in at the hot corner. Kreidler can also play a bit of center. Once Paddack reports to the team, the Tigers will need an active roster spot, so one of Ibáñez or Kreidler will probably be going right back down.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Sousa, Imagn Images
Tigers To Select Dietrich Enns For Thursday’s Game
The Tigers are going to select left-hander Dietrich Enns to the roster to start Thursday’s game, as first reported by @juiceyballl. The southpaw will have to be added to the 40-man and active rosters beforehand.
Enns, 34, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason. He has since made 14 Triple-A starts, logging 62 1/3 innings with 2.89 earned runs allowed per nine. He has struck out 26.7% of batters faced while limiting walks to a 5.6% clip and getting grounders on 41.5% of balls in play.
That strong performance will get Enns back to the majors, which has been a long and winding road. He previously made two appearances with the 2017 Twins and then another nine with the 2021 Rays. That stint with Tampa was pretty decent, as he had a 2.82 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate in 22 1/3 innings.
Despite those solid numbers, he may not have felt great about his job security going into 2022, as he was out of options. He decided to head overseas and signed with the Seibu Lions in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He had a strong performance that year, tossing 122 1/3 innings with a 2.94 ERA. He stuck with the Lions for 2022 but his results backed up, posting a 5.17 ERA over 12 starts. He then headed to Korea for the 2024 season, signing with the LG Twins. He made 30 starts for that club last year with a 4.19 ERA.
In the past month-plus, the Tigers have lost Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe to the injured list, blowing two holes in their rotation. Olson has been battling finger inflammation while Jobe required Tommy John surgery. In recent weeks, they have had a rotation core of Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Sawyer Gipson-Long, with Keider Montero also pitching in a sort of bulk role.
Montero was optioned to the minors recently, so Enns will step in for him. It’s unclear if Enns will get to make more than one start, however, as Olson is going to be back soon. Per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, he’s making another rehab start tomorrow and the club hopes he can return after that. Perhaps that means this will just be a spot start for Enns, though Gipson-Long also has options and could be bumped for Olson’s return instead. As mentioned, Enns is out of options. If the Tigers plan to bump him off the roster after his outing, he’ll effectively need to be designated for assignment.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Tigers Notes: Vierling, Olson, Urquidy, Boyd
A right rotator cuff strain delayed Matt Vierling‘s season debut until May 23, and he played in only four games before inflammation in that same right shoulder sent him back to the injured list. The Tigers utilityman’s luck may be starting to change, however, as a visit with Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week resulted in what Vierling described as “absolutely the best-case scenario” of just inflammation.
“I was nervous it might be something more serious, but the MRI showed that everything was fine structurally….I will start throwing [Sunday] and build up from there. There is no exact timeline but hopefully sooner than later,” Vierling told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters yesterday. Vierling also noted that he received an injection in his shoulder during his appointment.
Vierling is the only position player on the Tigers’ injured list, after a swath of early-season injuries left the club heavily depleted in the outfield. Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez have now both returned from the IL, Zach McKinstry remains a Swiss Army knife around the diamond, and Javier Baez has also evolved from a shortstop into more of a utility player (and a part-time center fielder).
All that’s missing now is Vierling, who filled a multi-positional role for Detroit in 2023-24 by suiting up at third base and at all three outfield positions, as well as a couple of appearances at first and second base. Vierling also hit a respectable .259/.320/.406 over 1097 plate appearances over those two seasons, and his right-handed bat can help balance out a Tigers lineup that is still heavy in left-handed hitters.
Turning to the pitching side of the injured list, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided McCosky and company with an update on Reese Olson‘s status. Olson received an injection in his inflamed right ring finger last Wednesday, and threw a bullpen session on Saturday. The next step will be incorporating changeups in Olson’s throwing sessions and future bullpens, which is the key step since it was throwing the changeup that led to the inflammation in the first place.
Olson increased his changeup usage this season, throwing the pitch 25.3% of the time and making it his chief secondary offering behind his sinker (31%). An average pitch for Olson over his first two MLB seasons, the changeup was now suddenly his most effective offering as per Statcast’s run value metric, with the changeup registering a +5 this year. This was, of course, over the small sample size of 48 2/3 innings in 2025, and the increase in effectiveness came at a price in the form of this IL trip. Olson hasn’t pitched since May 17, and it looks like he’ll continue to be sidelined into the second half of June.
Jose Urquidy won’t be a factor (if at all) for the Tigers until much later in the 2025 season, as the right-hander is almost exactly one year removed from a Tommy John surgery. Urquidy inked a one-year, $1MM guaranteed deal with Detroit in March that gives the Tigers a $4MM club option for 2026, essentially making this season a wait-and-see scenario for the team in gauging Urquidy’s recovery from rehab.
Urquidy hit a big checkpoint in his process on Friday, as Hinch said the righty threw a bullpen session at the Tigers’ spring complex in Lakeland. Many steps remain in the throwing progression, and McCosky writes that “Urquidy is still maybe a month or more away from a rehab assignment.” If all goes well, Urquidy could possibly be a factor for Detroit in late August or September, which would allow him to at least bank a few MLB innings as a bridge towards a fully healthy 2026.
With the Cubs visiting Detroit for a series, former Tiger Matthew Boyd was in town reuniting with some old friends in the clubhouse and on the media beat. Boyd was a free agent this last winter, and he told MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery that he had some talks with the Tigers about a possible deal before eventually going to Chicago on a two-year, $29MM contract. That signing has worked out wonderfully thus far, as Boyd has a 3.10 ERA over 68 2/3 innings and has been a stabilizing force within the Cubs’ injury-riddled rotation.
Boyd has spent eight of his 11 MLB seasons in a Detroit uniform, though the second of his two stints with the Tigers didn’t end well. The southpaw signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Tigers during the 2022-23 offseason, but he produced only a 5.45 ERA over 71 innings before a Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season and kept him on the shelf for most of the 2024 campaign. Boyd was able to return by the end of 2024 and, as a member of the Guardians, looked very sharp in posting a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 regular-season innings and then an 0.77 ERA over 11 2/3 postseason frames.
That performance was enough to land Boyd two guaranteed years from the Cubs, plus the contract contains a mutual option for 2027. It is possible that giving Boyd a second year was too much for the Tigers, as the club was focused mostly on shorter-term additions to its pitching staff. Detroit brought Jack Flaherty (for two years and $35MM, with an opt-out after 2025) and Alex Cobb (one year, $15MM) into the fold this past winter as alternatives to another reunion with Boyd.
Tigers Place Reese Olson On Injured List
The Tigers placed Reese Olson on the 15-day injured list due to right ring finger inflammation, as first reported by Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Reliever Chase Lee was recalled from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding active roster move.
Detroit will temporarily operate with a nine-man relief group and four starters. McCosky adds that they’ll push Jack Flaherty’s start back to what would have been Olson’s turn on Thursday against the Guardians while deploying a bullpen game on Wednesday in St. Louis. The Tigers are three games into a nearly two-week stretch without an off day, so there aren’t upcoming opportunities for their starters to work on regular rest in a four-man rotation.
Olson’s injury comes as a surprise. He looked sharp as ever during Saturday’s start in Toronto, firing six scoreless innings in an eventual 2-1 loss. He sat north of 95 MPH with both his four-seam fastball and sinker, slightly above his season average. It’s not clear if the soreness arose during that start or in the past two days, but it’s evidently enough to shelve him for at least two weeks.
The 25-year-old Olson has somewhat quietly emerged as one of the better young pitchers in the sport. He owns a 3.60 ERA over parts of three seasons and is out to a career-best start. Olson carries a 2.96 earned run average across 48 2/3 innings. He’s striking out more than a quarter of opponents while getting grounders on half the batted balls he allows. Olson has reeled off four scoreless appearances through his first nine starts. He could be in the mix for his first career All-Star selection if this injury proves minor.
At 31-16, the Tigers have MLB’s best record. Olson, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize each carry sub-3.00 ERAs, helping Detroit to a 3.39 rotation earned run average that ranks fifth in the majors. Mize went down with a hamstring strain a couple weeks ago, while they’ve been without Alex Cobb all season due to a right hip issue. Skubal, Flaherty, Jackson Jobe and Keider Montero comprise A.J. Hinch’s current four-man starting staff. McCosky writes that Mize could be activated from the IL by the weekend.
AL Central Notes: Twins, Kwan, Olson
The Twins recently welcomed a pair of key players back from the injured list, returning both center fielder Byron Buxton and shortstop Carlos Correa to the starting lineup. Buxton was activated in advance of yesterday’s game after missing the past month with a hip injury, while Correa has been out for the past two months due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The duo’s return to action is surely a relief for Twins fans. After all, only Matt Wallner‘s 162 wRC+ surpasses Correa’s 152 and Buxton’s 142 figures among the club’s regulars, and the two stars also play key defensive roles at shortstop and center field respectively.
As important as both Correa and Buxton are to the Twins’ pursuit of an AL Wild Card spot and impending postseason push, however, they won’t be in the lineup every day down the stretch. As noted by Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters earlier today that both players will be in the lineup on a truly game-to-game basis, with the team’s medical staff evaluating them both after each game to determine whether or not they’ll be available to play in the club’s next game.
That aggressive management of the club’s two top players might seem counter-intuitive for a Twins club that’s clinging to a 2.5-game lead over Detroit for the final AL Wild Card spot, but it’s fairly understandable given the pair’s significant injury woes. After all, Buxton’s injury woes throughout his career have been extreme enough that the next game he takes the field for will mean he’s played more games in 2024 with 93 than he has in any season of his 10-year big league career except 2017. While Correa’s injury woes haven’t been quite that extreme, the shortstop has been limited to just 75 games this year by injury and is now attempting to play through plantar fasciitis for the second consecutive September. For a Twins club that hasn’t made it to the ALCS since 2002, keeping Correa and Buxton as healthy as possible for the playoffs is clearly a top priority.
For his part, Correa seems to be on board. The shortstop told reporters (as relayed by Gleeman) that “Realistically, [he’s] not going to play every game” before adding that he wants to be on the field for the Twins “as much as possible” going forward this season. When Correa and Buxton are unable to play, Brooks Lee appears to be the club’s primary backup at shortstop while Willi Castro is the top option in center field.
More from around the AL Central…
- The Guardians are dealing with an injury scare regarding one of their top hitters, as club manager Stephen Vogt told reporters (including Mandy Bell of MLB.com) that outfielder Steven Kwan has been out of the lineup in recent days due to what he described as “back soreness.” While that diagnosis may seem fairly benign, it’s at least somewhat concerning that Vogt added Kwan has been sent for testing to determine the severity of the issue. While it’s nearly impossible for the Guardians to miss the playoffs at this point, the club holds a fairly tenuous three-game lead over the Royals for the AL Central crown, which is likely to come with a bye through the first round of the playoffs. The loss of Kwan, who has excelled as the club’s leadoff hitter with a .291/.364/.419 slash line this year, would surely complicate the club’s hopes of holding onto its present playoff positioning and an lengthy absence could even jeopardize Kwan’s availability in the early rounds of the playoffs. Will Brennan, Angel Martinez, and Daniel Schneemann are among the club’s options in left field while Kwan is unavailable.
- The Tigers have been without Reese Olson for virtually the entire second half this year after the right-hander went on the IL back in July due to a shoulder strain. Fortunately, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic) this afternoon that the club hopes to activate Olson from the IL during the club’s upcoming series against the Royals early next week. A healthy and effective return from Olson would be a huge boost for a Detroit club that sits just 2.5 games back of Minnesota for the final AL Wild Card spot, as the 25-year-old righty was in the midst of a breakout season with a 3.23 ERA and 3.13 FIP in 19 starts before being sidelined.
Tigers Place Reese Olson On Injured List, Select Bligh Madris
The Tigers announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s game. Right-hander Reese Olson was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain and infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. To take those two roster spots, the Tigers selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Bligh Madris and recalled left-hander Easton Lucas. To open a 40-man spot for Madris, outfielder Kerry Carpenter was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Olson started for the Tigers yesterday against the Blue Jays but departed after just two innings with the club announcing his injury as right shoulder soreness. Now it seems a strain has been discovered and he’ll need to miss at least 15 days, though it’s unclear how severe the strain is or exactly how long the club expects to be without him.
That will interrupt a very nice season for Olson, as he has made 19 starts with a 3.23 earned run average. His 21.6% strikeout rate is subpar but he’s limited walks to a 7.3% clip and kept 51.2% of balls on the ground.
The Tigers’ rotation is also without Casey Mize and Sawyer Gipson-Long, as both of those hurlers are currently on the IL. Gipson-Long had internal brace surgery in April and is done for the year while Mize has a left hamstring strain and has yet to begin a rehab assignment. In recent days, Matt Manning suffered a lat strain in the minors and won’t be an option anytime soon either.
Detroit has been hot lately, with 11 wins in their last 14 games, pulling them to within five games of a Wild Card spot in the American League. Prior to that, they looked like clearcut deadline sellers, but that looks a bit more questionable after they recent climb.
A couple of weeks ago, Jack Flaherty was the top name on MLBTR’s list of deadline trade candidates. That was due to the combination of his excellent season, his status as an impending free agent and Detroit’s place in the standings. Guys like Gio Urshela, Mark Canha and Andrew Chafin also made some sense as deadline trade candidates, while plenty of clubs have seemingly been trying to pry Tarik Skubal loose as well.
Skubal was always a long shot with his two extra years of control and he’ll probably be even harder to acquire now that the Tigers are back in the playoff picture. Whether the club trades any impending free agents in the weeks to come will be an interesting situation and could perhaps depend on how they perform in the next week.
For now, they will have to proceed without Olson, Mize, Manning or Gipson-Long. That leaves them with a rotation consisting of Flaherty, Skubal and Keider Montero. They could perhaps return Kenta Maeda to the rotation, after bumping him to the bullpen recently. Prospect Ty Madden is in Triple-A but has an 8.43 ERA there and isn’t on the 40-man roster. Other non-roster options could include Bryan Sammons, Brant Hurter or Lael Lockhart. The Tigers also have one of the best pitching prospects in the league in Jackson Jobe, though he has not yet reached Triple-A and doesn’t even have 40 innings at the Double-A level yet.
Madris, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason and has been performing well in Triple-A this year. Through 80 games at that level, he has hit 14 home runs and walked in 12.8% of his plate appearances. The offensive environment is quite strong in the International League this year so his .236/.339/.464 batting line only translates to a wRC+ of 105, but he’s also stolen 17 bases and lined up at first base and all three outfield spots.
Since optioning Spencer Torkelson to the minors, the Tigers have been rotating first base duties mostly between Canha and Urshela but neither is having an especially strong year and both of them can play other positions. They also both hit right-handed while Madris is a lefty, perhaps creating platoon opportunities. Madris has hit just .217/.314/.383 against lefties this year but .241/.346/.488 against righties. Madris is in today’s lineup at first base against righty Kevin Gausman of the Blue Jays. Madris has a couple of options and less than a year of major league service time, so he could potentially be a long-term piece for the Tigers if he continues to hold onto his 40-man spot.
As for Carpenter, this move is largely a formality as he’s almost been on the IL for 60 days already. He landed there at the end of May due to a lumbar spine stress fracture and still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment. He’ll be eligible to come off the IL once it’s been 60 days from his initial placement. That’s only a few days away but he’s not close to a return anyhow.
Casey Mize, Reese Olson Win Rotation Spots With Tigers; Matt Manning Optioned To Triple-A
The Tigers announced Friday that they’ve optioned right-hander Matt Manning to Triple-A Toledo. That puts an end to the three-horse race for the final two spots in manager AJ Hinch’s rotation. Right-handers Casey Mize and Reese Olson will open the season on the starting staff behind lefty Tarik Skubal and righties Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty. Detroit also reassigned non-roster right-hander Drew Anderson to minor league camp.
Detroit’s talented trio of right-handers didn’t make the decision easy — at least not in terms of spring results. Each of Mize, Olson and Manning pitched between 14 2/3 innings and 16 innings this spring, and none posted an ERA north of Olson’s 3.68. Olson posted the best blend of strikeout and walk rates in camp (22.6% and 6.5%, respectively). Mize notched the lowest ERA but the highest walk rate. Manning was perhaps done in by the six home runs he yielded in 16 innings.
While Manning won’t open the season in the rotation, it’s likely that he, Mize and Olson will all make their share of starts in Detroit this season. Mize is in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery and back surgery. He’ll be on an innings limit of some degree. Injuries in the rotation are also a virtual inevitability. Even with Manning opening the year in Toledo, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him start 15-plus games in the bigs.
Mize, 27 in May, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He showed plenty of promise in 2021, tossing 150 1/3 innings of 3.71 ERA ball with a below-average 19.3% strikeout rate but a strong 6.7% walk rate and similarly encouraging 48.1% ground-ball rate. That looked to set the stage for Mize to seize a long-term spot in the Detroit rotation, but he unfortunately suffered a UCL tear early in the 2022 season. He wound up undergoing Tommy John surgery and, while he was rehabbing that procedure, underwent surgery to address a nagging back issue that had been plaguing him for some time. He’s still under club control for three seasons.
Olson, 24, made his big league debut with Detroit last season and quickly impressed. In his first 103 2/3 MLB frames, he turned in a 3.99 ERA with average or better strikeout (24.4%), walk (7.8%) and ground-ball (42.8%) rates. Olson supported those rates with solid marks in swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates as well. The Tigers control him all the way through 2029.
The 26-year-old Manning was Detroit’s first-round pick back in 2016. He’s pitched in parts of three big league seasons, logging a 4.37 ERA with a 16.1% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 41.6% grounder rate. Manning hasn’t missed bats at the levels expected throughout his time as a top-ranked prospect, but he’s shown solid command and kept the ball in the yard nicely to this point in his career. He’s also had frequent bad luck with injuries, including a 2023 season in which he incredibly broke his foot on two separate occasions upon being struck by a comeback line-drive. He’s under club control through 2027 and will remain a notable piece of the Tigers’ rotation puzzle in the foreseeable future, even if he starts this season out in Toledo.