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Tarik Skubal Tarik Skubal Draws Opening Day nod
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:53 AM
Manager A.J. Hinch announced Wednesday that Skubal will draw the starting nod for the Tigers' Opening Day game March 26 versus the Padres in San Diego, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: While his long-term future in Detroit remains murky, Skubal will once again head into the 2026 campaign as the staff ace coming off back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards. The Tigers may look to manage Skubal's innings during the Grapefruit League after he logged a combined 216 frames between the regular season and playoffs in 2025, but he should be fully ramped up and ready to handle a standard workload by the time Opening Day arrives. |
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Dugan Darnell Dugan Darnell Idle to begin camp
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:45 AM
The Tigers announced Wednesday that Darnell (hip) will be sidelined for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Darnell is still on the mend from left hip labral repair surgery, which he underwent last September. Before being shut down by the injury, the 28-year-old righty made nine appearances out of the Colorado bullpen and logged a 3.86 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 5:7 K:BB across 11.2 innings. After being claimed off waivers by the Tigers in November, Darnell was designated for assignment but then re-signed to a minor-league deal. He's attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he'll likely need to complete his rehab within the next week or two to have any shot at all of winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. |
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Tyler Owens Tyler Owens Coming back from hip surgery
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:40 AM
The Tigers announced Wednesday that Owens will be sidelined to begin camp while he recovers from arthroscopic right hip surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Owens -- who is in Tigers camp as a non-roster invitee -- dealt with hip issues for a chunk of last season and at some point had the injury surgically addressed. It's uncertain how long he'll be out, but once he's healthy, Owens is likely ticketed for Triple-A Toledo. |
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Eduardo Valencia Eduardo Valencia Recovering from quad injury
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:37 AM
Valencia will be slowed at the start of Tigers camp by a left quadriceps injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: It's not clear when Valencia was injured or how long he might be shelved. The 26-year-old was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster this offseason and is slated to open the season at Triple-A Toledo. |
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Bailey Horn Bailey Horn On mend from elbow scope
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:34 AM
The Tigers announced Wednesday that Horn is recovering from arthroscopic left elbow surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: It's unclear when exactly Horn had the operation, so a timetable for him to resume throwing is also cloudy. The lefty made 10 appearances out of the Tigers bullpen last season, collecting a 1.59 ERA and 10:7 K:BB over 11.1 innings. |
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Sawyer Gipson-Long Sawyer Gipson-Long Coming back from oblique strain
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:30 AM
Gipson-Long is recovering from a left oblique strain, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: It's unclear at this point when Gipson-Long suffered the injury or how long he might be shelved. The right-hander already looked to be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Tigers' rotation, even with Reese Olson (shoulder) and Jackson Jobe (elbow) potentially set to miss the entire season, and this development won't help his case. Gipson-Long has missed much of the last two seasons due to Tommy John and hip surgeries. |
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Dillon Dingler Dillon Dingler Recovering from elbow scope
Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:25 AM
Dingler will be eased into spring training after undergoing arthroscopic right elbow surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: It's unclear when exactly Dingler had the operation, but he had a similar surgery two years ago and does not expect to be sidelined for much of camp. Dingler -- who won a Gold Glove in 2025 -- should be fine for Opening Day, but if his recovery lags, Jake Rogers would step in as the Tigers' primary catcher. |
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Ty Madden Ty Madden Expected to be ready for camp
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 7:41 PM
Madden (shoulder), who missed all of the 2025 season, is expected to be ready for spring training, MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Madden sustained a right rotator cuff strain last spring and ended up missing the entire season as a result. After a long recovery period, the 25-year-old righty appears to be ready to take the mound again. As a rookie in 2024, Madden appeared in six games for the Tigers, posting a 4.30 ERA across 23 innings. He figures to compete for a bullpen role during camp. |
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Reese Olson Reese Olson Will miss 2026 after surgery
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 5:01 PM
The Tigers placed Olson on the 60-day injured list Tuesday after he underwent a right shoulder labral repair Feb. 2 that will result in him missing the 2026 season.
Analysis: It was feared that Olson would not be ready for Opening Day, but it turned out to be worse than that. Near the end of the 2025 season, there was a hope that he could return for the postseason after hitting the injured list in July, but that did not come to fruition either. Prior to the Tigers announcing Olson's surgery, they signed Framber Valdez on Feb. 4 and Justin Verlander earlier Tuesday. Troy Melton is also an option to find time in the rotation with both Olson and Jackson Jobe (elbow) out. |
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Jackson Jobe Jackson Jobe Placed on 60-day IL
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 4:52 PM
The Tigers placed Jobe (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Analysis: Jobe underwent Tommy John surgery in June and will officially open the 2026 season on the injured list while he continues his recovery. The Tigers are hopeful that the 23-year-old righty will be able to return near the end of the regular season, though he may have to wait until 2027 to have a significant impact on the team. |
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Austin Slater Austin Slater Joins Detroit on MiLB deal
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 1:57 PM
Slater agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league spring training, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Slater split the 2025 campaign between the White Sox and Yankees, and he posted a .216/.270/.372 slash line with five homers in 160 plate appearances during the regular season. The 33-year-old best fits as a short-side platoon player in the outfield, and he could carve out that role in a Detroit outfield that's heavy on left-handed bats. |
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Justin Verlander Justin Verlander Returning to Detroit
Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 12:41 PM
Verlander agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers on Tuesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The veteran right-hander spent the 2025 campaign in San Francisco, finishing the season with a 3.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 137:52 K:BB across 152 innings. Verlander is now coming back to Detroit, where he won Rookie of the Year, an MVP and a Cy Young Award across the first 13 seasons of his big-league career. He'll turn 43 years old on Feb. 20 and will help round out a Tigers rotation headlined by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez. |
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Troy Melton Troy Melton Gets rotation competition
Mon, Feb 9, 2026, 9:10 PM
The Tigers added Framber Valdez to the top of their rotation Wednesday, but Melton figures to stick in the No. 5 spot for now with Reese Olson (shoulder) uncertain to be ready for the start of the season, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: After Detroit's splashy signing, the rotation figures to be led by Tarik Skubal, Valdez, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty. Olson would likely be the No. 5 starter if fully healthy, but he is recovering from a right shoulder strain and last pitched in an MLB game in July, so the Tigers figure to be cautious with the righty early in the year. That could open the door for Melton, who impressed as a rookie in 2025 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across 45.2 innings while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. |
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Konnor Pilkington Konnor Pilkington Earns NRI from Tigers
Mon, Feb 9, 2026, 5:37 PM
The Tigers signed Pilkington to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: Pilkington elected free agency last week after being booted off the Nationals' 40-man roster and has quickly latched on with a new organization. The southpaw put up a 4.45 ERA and 34:17 K:BB over 28.1 innings with Washington last season and is likely ticketed for the Triple-A Toledo bullpen to begin the 2026 season. |
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Reese Olson Reese Olson May not be ready for Opening Day
Fri, Feb 6, 2026, 12:17 PM
Olson (shoulder) may not be healthy in time for Opening Day, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis: Olson sustained a right shoulder strain in July and was placed on the 60-day injured list with hopes of returning for the postseason, but that never came to fruition. A report from the end of January indicated Olson would likely be ready in time for spring training, but the Tigers got an update on Olson's status this week that put his availability for Opening Day in doubt. Olson has started 35 games over the last two seasons with Detroit. If he's not healthy to begin the 2026 season, Troy Melton would be the favorite to claim a rotation spot, with Keider Montero, Drew Anderson and Sawyer Gipson-Long also in the mix. |
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Javier Baez Javier Baez WBC ban won't affect MLB status
Fri, Feb 6, 2026, 8:30 AM
Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig. |
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Tarik Skubal Tarik Skubal Wins arbitration case
Thu, Feb 5, 2026, 1:32 PM
Skubal will make $32 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Tigers on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: The Tigers had filed for $19 million, but after taking home the AL Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, Skubal will officially receive the largest arbitration salary ever awarded. The 29-year-old left-hander turned in a 2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 241 batters over 195.1 innings in 2025 and has shown no signs of slowing down heading into his seventh MLB season. |
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Kyle Finnegan Kyle Finnegan Looks like setup option
Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 9:23 PM
With Kenley Jansen the favorite to open the season as Detroit's closer, per the Tiger Territory podcast, Finnegan will likely need to settle for a setup role.
Analysis: Jansen leads all active MLB players and is fourth all time with 476 career saves, so it's not too surprising that manager A.J. Hinch figures to look the veteran's way first. Finnegan had 24 saves last season, with four of those coming with the Tigers after arriving via trade before the deadline, but it looks like his 2026 total will be significantly lower, unless Jansen gets hurt or struggles out of the gate. Detroit's 2025 saves leader, Will Vest, also figures to be in the setup mix in the seventh and eighth innings. |
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Framber Valdez Framber Valdez Inks three-year deal with Tigers
Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 8:04 PM
Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: The addition of Valdez gives the Tigers one of the most formidable left-handed starter duos in baseball, as he will now join Tarik Skubal atop Detroit's rotation. Valdez, 32, turned in a 3.66 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 192 innings with the Astros last season. Although those ratios are some of the worst he's recorded over his eight-year career, he remains a dependable fantasy asset after making 31 starts and topping 185 strikeouts in three of the past four seasons. |
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Kenley Jansen Kenley Jansen Named favorite to close by manager
Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 3:35 PM
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch indicated Wednesday on the Tiger Territory podcast that Jansen will open the season as the team's favorite to serve as closer.
Analysis: Speaking about his high-leverage relief options, Hinch said, "I think they're all going to get saves," before adding that "I think we can pretty much guess how it's gonna go given that one of them has a historic number of saves." The latter comment was in reference to Jansen, who is 24 saves away from 500 for his career. It doesn't mean the 38-year-old will finish the 2026 season as the Tigers' closer, but it's a safe bet Jansen will open the year as Hinch's first choice to handle save opportunities. Will Vest and/or Kyle Finnegan would be next-in-line if Jansen slips up. Jansen's strikeout rate dipped to a career-low 24.4 percent in 2025 with the Angels, but he remained effective, posting a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP while notching 29 saves. |
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