SerpApi.Org
Chicago — Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty was expected to talk to reporters before Wednesday’s series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field about the right elbow flexor inflammation that landed him on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s game was the rubber match of the series. The Tigers were trying to win their fourth straight road series for the first time since May-June 2025.
Flaherty pitched the first four innings in Monday’s 8-6 Tigers win over the Cubs in 10 innings. The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits and two walks.
The 30-year-old Flaherty is 3-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 19 starts this season. He finalized a $35 million, two-year contract with the Tigers in February 2025.
“It wasn't a clear-cut IL when we woke up this morning, and then as the day went on and the more (opinions) we got, the more we realized he wasn't going to pitch in five or six days,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Tuesday.
Initially, the Tigers didn’t believe Flaherty would be out longer than his allotted IL time off.
Ty Madden was recalled from Triple-A Toledo, to fill Flaherty’s spot. The 26-year-old right-hander tossed 3⅓ innings in Tuesday’s 11-2 loss at Chicago, entering with two outs in the first inning after starter Framber Valdez was hit hard in his return to the rotation following the death of his grandmother in the Dominican Republic.
Valdez allowed six runs on five hits in outing that matched the shortest of his career.
Madden has no record and a 3.09 ERA in eight appearances over 23⅓ innings for Detroit this year. He is 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA in 11 starts and one relief appearance with Toledo after being optioned to the Triple-A affiliate on June 14
“He’s performed really well here,” Hinch said of Madden on Tuesday. “He challenges the strike zone. He’s got a tough combo with the slider and split. Somebody I can trust in a variety of roles."
The Tigers' slow-throwing mop-up men
Things really slowed down from the mound in Tuesday’s loss to the Cubs. With Chicago leading 9-0 — and needing to give his overtaxed bullpen a breather — Hinch called on infielder Zach McKinstry to pitch the seventh and catcher Jake Rogers to toss the eighth as mop-up men.
“The two position players helped us get to the finish line,” Hinch said. “Today was like live to play another day.”
Both McKinstry and Rogers tossed mostly slow, arching “eephus” pitches per MLB stats. Pitchers may have used bloop pitches since the 1800s, but eephus is attributed to Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Rip Sewell in the 1940s.
McKinstry allowed two runs on two hits and walked three, while throwing 13 of 28 pitches for strikes. His 22 eephus pitches were clocked as slow as 33.3 mph and his zippiest fastballs reached 83.7. It was McKinstry’s first mound assignment this season and his sixth in the majors.
Rogers plunked Ian Happ with one of his 15 eephus pitches, then gave up double to Pedro Ramirez and walked Michael Conforto to load the bases with one out. But Rogers struck out Justin Dean and Seiya Suzuki, both swinging with 82 mph fastballs to escape without allowing a run.
Rogers threw 11 of 23 pitches for strikes. His eephus was in the 50-mph range.
This was Rogers' third mound assignment this season, following ones in April and May. He has an 0.00 ERA in 2⅓ innings. He has pitched eight times in his career (four last season) and owns a 3.86 ERA over seven innings.
Javy’s hopping again
Javier Báez, out since April 29 with a right ankle sprain, took a step toward returning with a rehab start on Tuesday night for Single-A Lakeland.
He played five innings at shortstop and batted second, going 1-for-2 with a ground-ball single through and a popup near the third-base line. Báez made a solid play in the field on a grounder that took him deep into the hole and an accurate, long throw to first to get the out.
Báez is expected to spend much of the week at shortstop, stretching out his innings.
“We’re going to build up a little bit of endurance and then move him around a bit,” Hinch said.
Dingler’s dingers
All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler provided all the Tigers offense with a two-run homer off recycled Cubs reliever Aaron Civale in the ninth inning on Tuesday. Dingler has gone deep in consecutive games for the second time this season after homering twice on Monday at Wrigley. Those two shots ended a 15-game homer-less drought for Dingler, who entered Wednesday with 22.
Rotation shaping up
Left-hander Troy Melton is slated to start Thursday’s four-game series opener against Kansas City in Detroit, then Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Valdez are expected to to follow.
Mize left Sunday’s game at Anaheim in the fourth inning after being hit with a Jo Adell’s comebacker. He wasn’t hurt on the play, but is dealing with a nagging groin injury
Witt-less Royals
Tigers pitchers and catchers won’t have to worry about facing Kansas City three-time All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr. — who leads the AL with 30 stolen bases — when the Royals come to town for a four-game series starting Thursday. Witt went on the 10-day injured list Wednesday morning (retroactive to July 21) with low back tightness and won’t be eligible to return until July 31.
Witt sat out Sunday’s game against San Diego, then exited Monday’s game against San Francisco after four innings and two plate appearances.
In 94 games this season, the 26-year-old Witt is batting .279 with 13 homers and 39 RBIs. This is Witt’s first stint on the IL in his five major-league seasons, although he did sit out six games in June with a right knee sprain.
On deck: Kansas City Royals
▶ Series: Four games at Comerica Park, Detroit
▶ First pitch: Thursday-Friday — 6:40 p.m. Saturday — 1:10 p.m. Sunday — 1:40 p.m.
▶ TV/radio: All four games on Detroit Sports Net/97.1 FM
Thursday's scouting report
▶ LHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.80), Tigers: The 25-year-old Melton continues to be sharp in his second season and since joining the rotation on May 24. He’s coming off a 5⅔-inning, no-decision performance in the Tigers 2-1 win over the Angels last Friday. The lefty walked a season-high four in that one, but matched a season high with nine strikeouts for the second straight game. Melton has allowed just three earned runs in his last five starts (29⅓ innings) for a 0.92 ERA over the span.
▶ Royals Pitcher: TBD The Royals had not yet announced any starters for the series heading into Wednesday’s afternoon game against San Francisco. Kansas City may be in last place in the AL Central, but the Royals had won have won four of five games since the All-Star break heading into Wednesday’s game in Kansas City against San Francisco. They were in a position to sweep the Giants.
Matt Carlson is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers not expecting lengthy IL stay for Jack Flaherty
