Detroit Tigers

Beau Brieske

RP

Tuesday marks the first time Brieske has thrown off a mound since he suffered a left adductor strain during spring training. He was placed on the 60-day injured list before the regular season began and isn't eligible to return until late May, but the 28-year-old appears to be progressing as expected.

Parker Meadows

CF

Meadows is also recovering from a concussion. He's already been moved to the 60-day injured list, and there remains no clear timetable for his return at this point. Javier Baez has seen more action in center field since Meadows went down, and Matt Vierling and Wenceel Perez have also experienced an elevated role.

Bailey Horn

RP

Horn is coming back from offseason arthroscopic left elbow surgery and had to be pulled off his rehab assignment last week because of a setback. It's not clear where Horn's rehab currently stands, but the reliever now won't be eligible for activation until late May.

Justin Verlander

SP

Manager A.J. Hinch said last week that Verlander's recovery from hip inflammation "going a little slower than anticipated", but the 42-year-old continues to throw bullpen sessions. Verlander hasn't suffered a setback to this point, but it doesn't appear he'll be rejoining Detroit's rotation in the immediate future.

Zach McKinstry

3B

McKinstry landed on the 10-day injured list last week with left hip/abdominal inflammation but has started to slowly ramp things back up at the Tigers' spring training complex in Florida. He has a good chance to return Sunday when first eligible.

Troy Melton

RP

The 25-year-old righty suffered an elbow strain early in spring training and began the season on the 60-day injured list, but he started his throwing program about a month ago and has now resumed mound work. Melton still has significant work to do in his rehab program before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so it wouldn't be surprising if he spends more than the 60-day minimum on the shelf.

Trey Sweeney

SS

The move corresponds with the Tigers claiming Grant Holman off waivers from the Dodgers. Sweeney opened the regular season on the 10-day IL due to a right shoulder strain. He was given a PRP injection Thursday, but it appears that he is not progressing enough in his recovery as anticipated. Now that he's on the 60-day IL, the earliest Sweeney can make his 2026 regular-season debut is late May.

Scott Effross

RP

Effross suffered a left oblique strain in early March and is finally ready to throw off the mound again. The sidearming reliever has struggled from a health and results perspective in recent years but will give the Tigers some experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Toledo once he's healthy.

Tyler Owens

SP

Owens is working his way back from arthroscopic right hip surgery after re-signing with the Tigers on a minor-league contract. The righty got a cup of coffee in the majors last season and should join the Triple-A Toledo bullpen once he's deemed physically ready.

Troy Watson

SP

Watson is in camp as a non-roster invitee, but he may not have enough time to complete his rehab and see Grapefruit League action before the end of the spring. Whenever he's back to full health, He's likely to head to Triple-A Toledo, where he'll presumably settle back into a starting role. After beginning last season as a reliever, Watson held his own upon moving into the Toledo rotation, logging a 3.20 ERA while punching out 59 batters over 70.1 innings across 14 starts.

Jackson Jobe

SP

Jobe continues to slowly ramp up his throwing program, as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. There's a chance Jobe could pitch toward the end of the 2026 season, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see the Tigers keep Jobe shelved until spring training next year.

Dugan Darnell

RP

Darnell has opened camp behind the team's healthy bullpen candidates after undergoing left hip labral repair surgery in September. The 28-year-old could be ready to get back onto a mound soon, but he still looks like he'll face an uphill battle to win a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Josue Briceno

C

Briceno injured the wrist in a Grapefruit League contest last weekend and is now looking at an extended absence following surgery. The 21-year-old hit .266/.383/.500 with 20 home runs over 100 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2025. Once healthy, he'll likely head back to Erie.

Reese Olson

SP

It was feared that Olson would not be ready for Opening Day, but it turned out to be worse than that. Near the end of the 2025 season, there was a hope that he could return for the postseason after hitting the injured list in July, but that did not come to fruition either. Prior to the Tigers announcing Olson's surgery, they had signed Framber Valdez on Feb. 4 and Justin Verlander earlier Tuesday. Troy Melton is also an option to find time in the rotation with both Olson and Jackson Jobe (elbow) out.