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Detroit Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty all set to return to rotation
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- Detroit Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty all set to return to rotation
As expected, the Detroit Tigers will get starting pitching reinforcements on Sunday, June 28.
Veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty will make his return from the injured list to start Sunday's series finale against the Houston Astros , manager A.J. Hinch announced on Saturday, June 27. Flaherty has been on the injured list since June 13 with abductor inflammation.
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"He's good to go for tomorrow," Hinch said. "We can't make it official until the morning, but we are fully expecting him to be good to go."
Flaherty made one rehab start in Double-A Erie, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across 5⅔ innings on 83 pitches on Tuesday. He returns to the Tigers with a 1-8 record and 5.35 ERA across 15 major league starts this season.
"He's definitely the right amount of being agitated and ready to pitch," Hinch said.
Flaherty's return will require a corresponding roster move to create space on the 26-man roster. It also gives the Tigers six starting pitching options on the starting roster along with Tarik Skubal , Framber Valdez , Casey Mize , Troy Melton and Keider Montero .
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The Tigers will roll with their expected starters of Mize, Skubal and Melton in the three-game series against the New York Yankees before making a decision between a five-man and six-man rotation in the series opener against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, July 2.
Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
The Rangers series also has a rare built-in off day between the first and second games of the series because of the ongoing World Cup soccer games hosted in Arlington. The Tigers will have an off day on July 3, and another off day following the series on July 6, before a six-game homestand entering the All-Star break.
"We'll have a decision to make on Thursday, going to Texas," Hinch said. "We could bring back Framber on regular rest. We could put Keider in there and do the six-man. We are kind of considering all of our options."
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Dillon Dingler expected to be active on rare off day
Starting catcher Dillon Dingler was out of the lineup on Saturday for a rare off day. Even with Jake Rogers behind the dish, Hinch expected his starting catcher to still come off the bench for a pinch-hitting opportunity.
"He's going to factor in at some point [Saturday]," Hinch said. "They have their three lefties, so he's been very available."
Dingler, who leads the Tigers in home runs, RBIs and OPS, has been scorching in the eight-game homestand. Dingler is hitting .364 (12-for-33) with three home runs and seven RBIs over the last eight games.
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His strong season with the bat and behind the plate as a defender has made it hard for the Tigers to rest him as they try to climb out of the steep hole caused by their 35-47 record.
Even on past off days from catching, Dingler has routinely been in the lineup as the team's designated hitter. Dingler has 14 appearances as the DH this season.
"Given what the plan is for tomorrow into Texas before our next off day, today seemed like a pretty good day for him," Hinch said. "Or, at least a partial day. He knows to be ready at any given moment."
Contact Jared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty all set to return to rotation
