Detroit Tigers Coach Gives Major Injury Update Regarding Top Star Huge Setback

Tigers’ Pitching Plan vs White Sox remains in flux as Reese Olson injury hangs in the balance

Detroit Tigers Coach Gives Major Injury Update Regarding Top Star Huge Setback
Jack Flaherty will get the start for the Detroit Tigers in Monday’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox. Casey Mize will pitch Thursday’s series finale. At this point, what happens in the rest of the series is anyone’s guess.

Right-handers Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe are both on the injured list, while southpaw Tarik Skubal will pitch Friday against the Chicago Cubs. The result for Tuesday and Wednesday is pitching chaos, which just so happens to be the Tigers’ specialty

The Tigers’ starting pitchers for Games 2 and 3 of the series against the White Sox are officially listed as “TBD,” though it’s expected that Tuesday will be a bullpen game and Wednesday will feature the return of Sawyer Gipson-Long after more than a year on the injured list.

Gipson-Long last pitched for the Tigers in September 2023, when he registered a 2.70 ERA with eight walks and 26 strikeouts across 20 innings in four starts. He underwent right elbow surgery in April 2024 and left hip surgery in July 2024 and has since made five starts during a rehab assignment, including a pair of starts with Triple-A Toledo.

Tigers’ pitching plan vs White Sox remains in flux as Reese Olson injury return timeline remains unclear
Olson, who is dealing with right ring finger inflammation, is not expected to be out for long, In fact, he is eligible to return from the injured list as early as Monday, though the Tigers are wise not to bank on him being available against the White Sox this week.

According to a report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Olson still isn’t throwing all of his pitches as of his most recent bullpen session, which took place before Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Olson’s changeup, Petzold reported, was conspicuously absent from his repertoire in Saturday’s bullpen session.

It’s reasonable to expect that Olson could return to the Tigers’ rotation as soon as this weekend against the Cubs, but it is by no means a guarantee. In the meantime, let the pitching chaos commence.