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Dillon Dingler Dillon Dingler Sitting for season finale
Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 11:56 AM
Dingler is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Analysis: Eduardo Valencia will be rewarded for his walk-off homer Saturday with a start behind the plate in the regular-season finale. Barring an appearance off the bench, Dingler will finish the 2026 campaign with a .243 average, 27 homers, 91 RBI and 72 runs scored across 605 plate appearances. |
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Justin Verlander Justin Verlander Emotional farewell at Comerica
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 7:11 PM
Verlander didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Pirates, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.
Analysis: In his first start since March 30, and the final outing of his Hall of Fame career, the 43-year-old Verlander showed he still had something left in the tank. He did serve up solo shots to Brandon Lowe and Jacob Gonzalez and left the mound in line for a loss, but the Tigers made sure that didn't happen by rallying in the ninth inning, as Eduardo Valencia walked it off with a homer. When Verlander did get lifted after 91 pitches (57 strikes), it was his daughter who came to the mound instead of manager A.J. Hinch to collect him and lead him into retirement. Verlander finishes his career with 3,560 strikeouts, eighth all time in MLB history. |
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Jacob Waguespack Jacob Waguespack Earns win in relief Saturday
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 7:08 PM
Waguespack (2-2) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Pirates. He allowed two hits and struck out two.
Analysis: In the final start of Justin Verlander's legendary career, it was Waguespack who earned the win out of the bullpen when Eduardo Valencia walked things off with a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Waguespack has quietly put together a strong season with a 2.49 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 47 innings, though he's only struck out 35 batters. A lack of overpowering stuff will likely keep the righty in a middle-relief role heading into next year, though he's certainly done well in his first MLB action since 2024 after bouncing around the minors in 2025. |
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Hao-Yu Lee Hao-Yu Lee Reaches four times in win
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 7:00 PM
Lee went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.
Analysis: Lee continued his strong recent stretch of a play with another multi-hit performance. Over his last eight games, the rookie infielder is batting .371 with a home run, four runs scored and four RBI. Lee will get one more chance to add to his stats if he's in the lineup Sunday before turning his attention toward 2027. The 23-year-old has shown plenty of promise and figures to be a key part of Detroit's future plans. |
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Eduardo Valencia Eduardo Valencia Walks it off Saturday
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 5:09 PM
Valencia went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.
Analysis: His one knock was a big one, as Valencia lofted a curveball from Pittsburgh closer Mason Montgomery just over the wall in left field for a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was Valencia's seventh homer in 41 games since making his big-league debut in early July, a stretch in which he's also delivered a stunning .344/.383/.624 slash line. Dillon Dingler is locked in as Detroit's No. 1 catcher, but Valencia has made a strong case to be a regular part of the lineup in 2027, either at DH or behind the plate when Dingler gets a day off. |
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Kerry Carpenter Kerry Carpenter Moves to 60-day IL
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 10:32 AM
The Tigers transferred Carpenter (foot) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Carpenter has already been ruled out from returning this year due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot, so the Tigers will move him to the 60-day IL to create space on the 40-man roster for Justin Verlander (hamstring/hip), who is slated to start Saturday's game. |
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Andrew Sears Andrew Sears Optioned to Triple-A
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 10:28 AM
The Tigers optioned Sears to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Sears will depart the active roster to make room for Justin Verlander (hamstring/hip), who was activated to start Saturday's contest. Sears posted a 2.16 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 58.1 innings in the minors this season but struggled mightily in the big leagues, allowing 15 earned runs in just 19 frames. |
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Justin Verlander Justin Verlander Activated ahead of start
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 10:23 AM
The Tigers reinstated Verlander (hamstring/hip) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Pirates, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: After missing the majority of the season due to hamstring and hip issues, Verlander will return from the IL to make what will be the final start of his Hall of Fame career. He never made any rehab appearances in the minors, so his outing Saturday is likely to be brief. Andrew Sears was optioned to the minors to make room for Verlander on the active roster, and Kerry Carpenter (foot) moved to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man spot. |
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Gleyber Torres Gleyber Torres Idle Saturday
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:27 AM
Torres isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Pittsburgh.
Analysis: Torres will miss a third straight start Saturday as the Tigers continue to limit his reps before he enters free agency this winter. His absence will allow Eduardo Valencia to serve as the designated hitter while batting fourth. |
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Kenley Jansen Kenley Jansen Strikes out two, secures save
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:26 AM
Jansen struck out two batters in a clean ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 8-7 win over the Pirates.
Analysis: Jansen was sharp in this one, sitting the Pirates down on 13 pitches to secure his 22nd save of the year while striking out multiple batters for the first time since Sept. 12. The veteran righty is closing out his season on a positive note, as he's rattled off 12 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. Jansen is on a one-year deal with Detroit with a team option for 2027, so it remains to be seen if he'll be back with the Tigers, though he certainly still seems capable of pitching at a high level even at the age of 38. |
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John Peck John Peck Sitting Saturday
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:19 AM
Peck isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates.
Analysis: Peck will sit out Saturday's contest after going just 1-for-20 at the plate in his last six starts. Javier Baez will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth. |
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Jackson Jobe Jackson Jobe Picks up win Friday
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:18 AM
Jobe (3-3) allowed two runs on three hits across 5.1 innings to earn the win in Friday's 8-7 victory over the Pirates. He walked two and struck out eight.
Analysis: Jobe put a cap on his 2026 campaign with another strong performance as he came within one strikeout of matching a season high. Across his final three starts of the year, the young righty posted a 2-1 record, 3.06 ERA and 0.79 WHIP while striking out 25 batters across 17.2 innings. Overall, Jobe finishes with a 3.91 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 46 innings, making his return from Tommy John surgery a success. He'll now get the offseason to gear up for 2027, and Jobe looks like a potential breakout candidate as he gets further removed from his surgery and his workload presumably increases. |
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Eduardo Valencia Eduardo Valencia Reaches five times in win
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:07 AM
Valencia went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double and three runs scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Pirates.
Analysis: Valencia was dialed in at the plate Friday, and he set a new season high with the three walks as well as reaching base five times overall. The rookie has been a revelation with a .350/.391/.617 slash line across 128 plate appearances. It remains to be seen how Detroit will manage both Valencia and Dillon Dingler behind the plate in 2027, but Valencia has seemingly earned a role, perhaps as a more frequent DH option. |
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Spencer Torkelson Spencer Torkelson Nears cycle in win
Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 9:02 AM
Torkelson went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a home run and three RBI in Friday's 8-7 win over the Pirates.
Analysis: Torkelson was a single shy of his first career cycle at the MLB level, and his strong effort included his first triple of the year as well as his 26th home run. With two games left in the regular season for Detroit, Torkelson could tie a career high with 159 games played if he appears in both of them. The slugger has proven to be quite dependable this year, and he figures to head into 2027 as a fairly well established source of power who also swings and misses frequently. |
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Gleyber Torres Gleyber Torres Out of lineup again Friday
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 2:14 PM
Torres is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Pirates.
Analysis: It's the second game in a row and the ninth time this month that Torres has been absent from the lineup. The 29-year-old is an impending free agent and the Tigers have been eliminated from postseason contention, so Torres could continue to see limited reps in the final weekend of the regular season. Detroit has Hao-Yu Lee at second base and Eduardo Valencia at designated hitter Friday. |
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Max Clark Max Clark Getting turn in leadoff spot
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM
Clark will start in center field and bat leadoff in Friday's contest against the Pirates.
Analysis: It's the first time in his young big-league career that Clark has batted higher than sixth. The rookie outfielder has not shown signs of slowing down late in the season, slashing .353/.458/.500 with one home run, four stolen bases and an 11:14 BB:K over 20 September games. |
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Burch Smith Burch Smith On mend from shoulder surgery
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 12:26 PM
Smith underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Aug. 31, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: The procedure brings an end to Smith's season, after the right-hander struggled to bounce back upon hitting the injured list May 22 due to shoulder inflammation. Before being deactivated, Smith turned in a 3.18 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB across 17 innings over 13 appearances for Detroit. The 36-year-old righty is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agency this winter. |
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Parker Meadows Parker Meadows Rehabbing in Florida
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 12:20 PM
The Tigers announced Sept. 18 that Meadows (arm) has been taking part in a hitting progression at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Meadows doesn't appear to be a realistic candidate to return from the 60-day injured list for the Tigers' final series of the season, but he could be in store for something close to a normal offseason. The 26-year-old outfielder slashed just .250/.308/.333 with three stolen bases, three runs and two RBI over 39 plate appearances with Detroit before hitting the shelf after sustaining a fractured left radius bone in his left arm and concussion during an on-field collision April 9. |
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River Ryan River Ryan Headed for another start
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 12:11 PM
Ryan is slated to start Sunday's game against the Pirates at Comerica Park, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Analysis: Ryan will get a second turn through the rotation to close out the Tigers' season. After getting called up form Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Ryan started and struck out three batters over three shutout frames in a no-decision against the Nationals. He tossed 43 pitches in that outing and will once again be operating with a restricted workload Sunday, making him a risky option for fantasy managers streaming him with the hope of scooping up a win. Keider Montero or Jack Flaherty (forearm) could end up piggybacking Ryan in the season finale. |
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Andrew Sears Andrew Sears Headed to bullpen
Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 11:58 AM
Sears is expected to pitch out of the bullpen at some point during Friday's game against the Pirates, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Analysis: Sears had started in each of his last three appearances, but he'll shift to a relief role to close out the campaign after he was roughed up for six unearned runs while retiring just two batters his last time out Friday against the White Sox. Over five total outings with Detroit this season, Sears has submitted a 5.19 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 13:7 K:BB across 17.1 frames. |
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