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Detroit Tigers starter Reese Olson completes first bullpen, on track for September return
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- Detroit Tigers starter Reese Olson completes first bullpen, on track for September return
CHICAGO — Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson has been sidelined for exactly one month with a right shoulder strain , but after completing his first bullpen in the recovery process, he remains on track to pitch for the Tigers again at some point in September.
Olson landed on the injured list July 21 .
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He completed his first bullpen session before Wednesday's game at Wrigley Field.
"It felt pretty normal," Olson said. "It's just another step in getting back, so I'm pretty happy to feel good in the first one."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson throws during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
He threw 20 pitches in the bullpen session.
He used all five of his pitches.
"My command probably wasn't as great as it would've been a few weeks ago," Olson said, "but everything came out good."
The next step is to increase the pitch count in future bullpens.
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"We've got to build volume and get him off the mound again in a few days and just continue the normal ramp back up," manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'm as encouraged as you could be at this stage. He told me, as much as he's been rehabbing, he expected to feel good, and he should feel good, and he does."
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Olson, 25, has a 3.23 ERA with 31 walks and 92 strikeouts across 103 innings in 19 starts in 2024, solidifying himself as a frontline starter. He looks forward to building upon what has already been a successful second season in the big leagues.
It's unclear how many times Olson is expected to start in September, but it could only be one or two starts. He still needs to complete more bullpens and execute a rehab assignment.
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"From the beginning, when we laid out the plan, if everything went good along the way, I'd be back at some point in September," Olson said. "I'm on the right track for that."
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Olson suffered the shoulder injury during a July 20 start against the Toronto Blue Jays , in which he exited after two innings and 30 pitches . He hasn't pitched in a game since then.
Before the injury, Olson had a 2.25 ERA with 31 strikeouts over his past 32 innings.
"Feeling healthy and being able to throw some more innings with this team in the big leagues," Olson said, "that would be a pretty good ending, going into the offseason healthy."
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers RHP Reese Olson on track for September return
