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Tigers' Beau Brieske to miss 2026 Opening Day after slip in practice
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- Tigers' Beau Brieske to miss 2026 Opening Day after slip in practice
LAKELAND, FL – Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Beau Brieske won't make the 2026 Opening Day roster .
His absence is due to another injury.
The 27-year-old has been sidelined with a left groin strain – specifically, an adductor strain – and won't return to full health in the next nine days, which means he won't be available for Opening Day on March 26 against the San Diego Padres .
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"Long term, we're not concerned because these things heal and he can get back on the mound," manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday, March 17, before a game in spring training, "but it's frustrating to say the least."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Beau Brieske throws at live batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
Brieske suffered the left groin strain when he slipped while working on his delivery during a workout. He will be placed on the 15-day injured list when the regular season begins.
"Normal drill work on a mound," Hinch said. "He was just working on a delivery and slipped."
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The latest injury occurred less than a week after he returned from right ribcage tightness – and earlier in camp, he dealt with thoracic spine inflammation.
Brieske has appeared in just three games during spring training: Feb. 23 against the Minnesota Twins (18 pitches), March 2 against the Atlanta Braves (three pitches) and March 13 against the Pittsburgh Pirates (15 pitches).
"I feel for him because of the work he put in to get himself back," Hinch said. "We celebrated getting him through the full inning in a game. This feels rather random, although it can happen – and it's happening at the worst time for his availability at the beginning of the season."
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This isn't the first time Brieske has landed on the injured list.
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He previously suffered a season-ending elbow injury in July 2025, but the injury – diagnosed as a right forearm strain – didn't require surgery. Before that, he missed time in April 2025 with right ankle inflammation.
In 2025, Brieske registered a 6.55 ERA with 12 walks and 16 strikeouts across 22 innings in 22 games (one start) for the Tigers , receiving a demotion to Triple-A Toledo in mid-June. After that, he suffered the elbow injury.
He has also landed on the injured list with right forearm soreness and right upper arm discomfort throughout his four-year MLB career, with a 4.14 ERA across 206⅓ innings from 2022-25.
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Tigers bullpen for 2026 Opening Day roster
The Tigers have six relievers locked into their eight-man bullpen once the season begins: right-handers Kenley Jansen , Kyle Finnegan , Will Vest and Drew Anderson and left-handers Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter .
The final two spots are up for grabs, with right-hander Brenan Hanifee as the leading candidate for one spot. Other candidates include left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus and right-handers Burch Smith and Tanner Rainey .
"There are a lot of different ways we can go with length, with handedness," Hinch said. "We're going to take all the time that we have."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Beau Brieske injury: Detroit Tigers reliever to miss 2026 Opening Day
