Jack Flaherty did not have enough time to repair an injury-disrupted year. He still gave himself a better ending before entering free agency.
The veteran right-hander returned Sunday and threw two scoreless innings during the Detroit Tigers ' 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates . Flaherty allowed one hit, issued no walks and struck out one while needing only 19 pitches.
The Tigers had already been eliminated from postseason contention, so the appearance carried greater personal significance. It replaced more than two months of uncertainty with tangible evidence that Flaherty could face Major League hitters again.
For a pitcher preparing to seek his next contract, reaching that point mattered.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Detroit placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list on July 21 with right flexor inflammation. The injury initially appeared mild, but he did not return within the expected window and spent the remainder of the summer rebuilding his arm, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck .
With time running out, the club moved away from attempting to stretch him into a conventional starting role. Flaherty completed rehabilitation work with Triple-A Toledo before Detroit planned to use him for two or three innings during the final week.
The Tigers reinstated Flaherty before Sunday's finale and optioned left-hander Brant Hurter to create an active-roster spot. Flaherty faced seven Pittsburgh hitters, threw 12 of 19 pitches for strikes and permitted only a single.
The outing lowered his final ERA from 4.59 to 4.48. He completed 88 1/3 innings over 20 appearances, including 19 starts, finishing with a win-loss record of 3-8.
Those numbers still reflected a difficult campaign. Flaherty also missed time because of a left ankle and foot injury, preventing him from providing the dependable rotation innings Detroit expected.
Sunday didn't prove he could immediately handle a starter's workload. It showed that his arm responded well enough for him to finish the year on a Major League mound.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Flaherty's two-year, $35 million contract ran only through 2026, positioning him to become a free agent after the World Series. He earned $20 million during the campaign after reaching an escalator that doubled the value of his player option, according to MLB's contract breakdown .
Interested teams must balance his experience and previous success against a 4.48 ERA, limited workload and multiple injured-list stays. The finale offered them one encouraging piece of information.
Flaherty did not enter the offseason with his most recent game action ending in discomfort against the Chicago Cubs . He returned, filled the strike zone and completed a controlled assignment without an evident setback.
Nothing about the outing guaranteed that the Tigers would pursue another contract. There had been no public indication of negotiations, and two innings could not resolve the larger concerns surrounding his durability.
The appearance nevertheless improved the final image attached to his campaign. Instead of asking whether Flaherty could pitch again in 2026, potential suitors could evaluate how much workload they believed he could rebuild for 2027.
Flaherty didn't reconstruct his entire free-agent value with 19 pitches. He quietly repaired its most basic component by proving he could take the mound again before the year ended.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/tigers/onsi as Jack Flaherty's Final Tigers Appearance Quietly Rebuilt His Free-Agent Case .
