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A.J. Hinch Opens Up on Reese Olson’s Season-Ending Surgery
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- A.J. Hinch Opens Up on Reese Olson’s Season-Ending Surgery
The Detroit Tigers will be without one of their most quietly effective starters for the entire 2026 season.
On February 2, right-hander Reese Olson underwent right shoulder labral repair surgery, officially ruling him out for the year. It's a tough blow for both Olson and a Tigers rotation that had come to rely on his steady presence whenever he was healthy enough to take the mound.
A Difficult End to a Long Struggle
For Olson, this surgery wasn't sudden, it was the culmination of a frustrating stretch defined by recurring shoulder issues.
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The 26-year-old missed significant time in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, managing just 35 starts and 181 innings combined over those two years. Even when available, Olson was often pitching through discomfort, trying to stay on the mound while searching for answers.
Now, the Tigers finally have clarity, even if the answer comes with a heavy cost.
Olson Was Producing When Healthy
Despite the limited workload, Olson was effective when he pitched.
In 2025, he posted:
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3.15 ERA
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25 walks(8.8% walk rate)
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65 strikeouts(22.8% strikeout rate)
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68⅔ inningsacross 13 starts
Those numbers reinforced what the Tigers believed internally: Olson wasn't just depth, he was a legitimate, reliable rotation arm when healthy.
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Hinch: "It's a Really Big Loss"
Manager A.J. Hinchdidn't sugarcoat the impact of losing Olson for the season.
"I feel for him. He's had a really hard time," Hinch said via the Detroit Free Press. "As much as we talk about the additions, it's a really big loss. He's sneaky underrated when it comes to people not talking about him a ton in our rotation, and when we've had him on the mound, he's been really, really good. He's still in the brace, and he's going to have to shake your hand left-handed, but his spirits are fine. I think we got resolution with what's been bothering him over the last 6–12 months, but I feel for him – because as excited as everybody is to get started, he's had a rough last couple of weeks."
That quote captures both sides of the situation, relief at finally identifying the issue, and heartbreak at the timing.
What It Means for the Tigers
Olson's absence creates a significant innings gap, especially for a team that values stability and depth in its rotation. While Detroit has added arms and flexibility, losing a pitcher who consistently delivered quality starts when healthy forces adjustments.
It also underscores why the Tigers were so aggressive in adding rotation reinforcements this offseason.
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The Bigger Picture
For Olson, the priority now is recovery, not rushing back, not pitching through pain, but giving himself a real chance at a clean reset. The Tigers believe the surgery addressed what had been nagging him for over a year, offering hope that 2027 could mark a true fresh start.
For now, though, the Tigers move forward without him, and with a clear understanding of just how much he'll be missed.
The post A.J. Hinch Opens Up on Reese Olson's Season-Ending Surgery appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation .
