Last season, the Detroit Tigers could have been called the comeback team of the year. After a sluggish first five months that saw them at two games under .500 as late at August 22, they sat 9 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
But after winning eight of their next 10, then 15 of their final 19, the Tigers blasted their way into the postseason and got to the Division Series where they fell to the Cleveland Guardians in the full five games.
This year has been different. The Tigers have been dominant. Before Monday’s game in St. Louis against the Cardinals, the Tigers held the best record in MLB with a .660 winning percentage, and at 31-16 were the first and so far only team to reach the 30-win mark.
Tigers Success Comes Despite Multiple Injuries
Remarkably, Detroit has managed this feat in spite of an overpopulated injured list that includes $15 million offseason free agent signing Alex Cobb, who has yet to throw a single pitch in a Tiger uniform.
There has been good news on the injury front in recent days, however.
Injured outfielders Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling have both shown “encouraging” signs this week as they inch their way back from injuries suffered in spring training, manager A.J. Hinch said on Sunday, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Catcher Jake Rodgers, out with an oblique strain since April 7, caught for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday. Outfielder Manuel Margot, and righty pitcher Beau Brieske have missed time with injuries, and outfielder Kerry Carpenter also sat out with “hamstring soreness” but avoided an IL stint.
But there has been bad news, too. On May 13, reliever Jake Foley who led the team in saves with 28 last season underwent shoulder surgery, ending his season.
The bad news kept coming on Monday, when the Tigers placed another pitcher, 25-year-old Reese Olson, on the injured list with perhaps the oddest injury of all the maladies suffered by Detroit players this year â right finger inflammation.
Injury Interrupts Olson’s Career Year
Olson, in his third season, was off to what looked to be a career year. Through nine starts he boasted a sparkling 2.96 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings and a respectable wins above replacement (WAR) number of 1.1.
On Saturday, Olson turned in perhaps his best start of the season, allowing one run on one hit to the Toronto Blue Jays through six innings, with six strikeouts and a single walk. His fastball sat around 95 mph.
But Hinch pulled him from the game due to what Olson later described as “irritation” in the ring finger of his right hand. The righty told reporters that he felt “fine,” but apparently that was not entirely true because on Monday he was sent to the IL.
Olson’s next start was set for May 22 at home against Cleveland, but he will miss at least that outing.
âI don’t know what to make of this yet until we get a full evaluation,â Hinch said, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. âHe was going to play catch today. At this point, I don’t know how that went. It was really impacting the grip of his pitches. That was the concern level.”
Olson was drafted in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, out of North Hall High School in Gainesville, Georgia. The Tigers acquired him in 2021, in a trade for veteran lefty Daniel Norris.
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