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Reese Olson to miss 2026 Detroit Tigers season with shoulder surgery
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- Reese Olson to miss 2026 Detroit Tigers season with shoulder surgery
The Detroit Tigers will be without Reese Olson for the 2026 season.
The 26-year-old right-hander underwent shoulder surgery Feb. 2 and has been placed on the 60-day injured list. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training Wednesday, Feb. 11, for their first workout in Lakeland, Florida.
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Olson won't pitch for the Tigers until 2027.
He tried to rehab from a season-ending shoulder injury throughout the offseason, but setbacks led to surgery.
Olson, who turns 27 in late July, owns a 3.60 ERA in his three-year MLB career, spanning 56 games (53 starts). The Tigers acquired him at the 2021 trade deadline from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed reliever Daniel Norris .
Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson (45) walks off the filed after pitching the fifth inning against Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
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The Tigers learned about the severity of Olson's situation about a week before signing left-hander Framber Valdez on Feb. 4 to a three-year, $115 million contract . Then, a day before the start of spring training, the Tigers and former longtime ace Justin Verlander reunited on a one-year, $13 million contract .
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In 2025, Olson registered a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68⅔ innings in 13 starts. He made two stops on the injured list, suffering from right ring finger inflammation in mid-May and a right shoulder strain in late July.
It wasn't the first time he dealt with a shoulder injury.
He also missed nearly three months with a right shoulder strain in 2024 .
The shoulder injuries – plus the finger injury – limited him to just 35 starts across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, far short of a potential 65 starts had he avoided the injured list.
Without Olson, the Tigers' rotation in the 2026 season projects to feature Valdez, Tarik Skubal , Jack Flaherty , Casey Mize and Verlander, with Drew Anderson and Troy Melton in the mix if there's another injury. Skubal and Valdez are two of five left-handers to throw at least 350 innings with a sub-3.50 ERA over the past two seasons.
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The need for another frontline starter became even more pressing with Olson sidelined, so the Tigers signed Valdez – rather than continuing their pursuits of mid-tier starters in free agency, such as Chris Bassitt , Lucas Giolito and Nick Martinez – and then six days later, added Verlander in a surprise move.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reese Olson injury update: Detroit Tigers starter undergoes surgery
