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Here's when Framber Valdez will make first spring start for Tigers
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- Here's when Framber Valdez will make first spring start for Tigers
SARASOTA, FL – The schedule has been updated.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez will make his first start of 2026 spring training Monday, March 2, against the Atlanta Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.
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Of the five starters, right-hander Justin Verlander will be the last member of the Opening Day rotation to start in a spring game, with Jack Flaherty , Tarik Skubal , Casey Mize and now Valdez already in action.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
The 32-year-old threw 30-plus pitches Wednesday in his first and only live batting practice session on the TigerTown backfields.
"It was the next step of his progression to build up some tolerance," manager A.J. Hinch said before Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles . "He got his work in and got his pitch count up a little bit. Pitching with no adrenaline and no crowd, I see it as a general next step in spring training."
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After Monday's start, Valdez will travel with the Tigers to the Dominican Republic for their two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday against Team Dominican Republic at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo.
But Valdez won't pitch in those games.
"Just to represent his home country," Hinch said of Valdez, who was born in Sabana Grande de Palenque, which is 30 miles southwest of Santo Domingo. "He's excited to go home for a couple of days to see his family."
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Staying on a five-day schedule, Valdez appears lined up to start April 3 for the Tigers in the home opener of the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park in Detroit.
The Tigers already set Skubal as their Opening Day starter March 26 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego .
In early February, Valdez signed a two-year, $75 million contract with the Tigers in free agency , paying him base salaries of $17.5 million in 2026 and $37.5 million in 2027, along with a $20 million signing bonus that's deferred. The deal includes a $35 million player option for 2028 and a $40 million mutual option for 2029 with a $5 million buyout.
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Before 2026, Valdez spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Houston Astros . He is one of five left-handers to throw at least 350 innings with a sub-3.50 ERA across the 2024-25 seasons, joining Skubal, Cristopher Sánchez , Garrett Crochet and Max Fried .
Valdez, a two-time All-Star, registered a 3.66 ERA with 68 walks and 187 strikeouts over 192 innings in 31 starts for the Astros in 2025, making his fourth consecutive season with more than 175 innings.
He is one of the most durable pitchers in baseball.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Framber Valdez scheduled for spring training start
