Detroit Tigers

Casey Mize

SP

Mize began throwing bullpen sessions over the weekend, and his quick return to facing live hitters keeps him on track for a brief stay on the injured list. The 29-year-old righty will be eligible to return from his right calf strain Thursday.

Will Vest

RP

It was the first time Vest had thrown off a mound since landing on the injured list May 2 with forearm inflammation. He'll be eligible to return from the IL on Thursday, though he's likely to throw a few additional bullpen and live batting practice sessions before being activated.

Connor Seabold

RP

The Tigers placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list April 26 due to left ankle inflammation, but he shouldn't require an extended rehab assignment before making his return from the shelf. The right-hander projects to serve as a multi-inning option out of the Detroit bullpen once he's activated.

Justin Verlander

SP

The 43-year-old progressed to facing live batters Saturday as he continues to work his way back from hip inflammation, which sent him to the IL after his season debut March 30. Verlander was already likely to require a few rehab starts in the minors before rejoining Detroit's rotation, so the move to the 60-day IL likely doesn't affect his return timeline much. He'll be eligible to come off the IL at the start of June.

Kerry Carpenter

RF

The 29-year-old sustained the injury Saturday against the Royals on a collision with the outfield wall, and he'll be out for at least the next week and a half as a result. Gage Workman was called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Carpenter's place on Detroit's 26-man active roster.

Beau Brieske

RP

Brieske is finally ready to pitch in games after recovering from a left adductor strain he suffered during spring training. He is on the 60-day injured list and not eligible to return until late May, but Brieske should be ready to go at that time, barring a setback.

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.

Tarik Skubal

SP

The operation went as well as it could have, with Heyman noting Skubal had just one relatively small loose body extracted from his pitching elbow. Skubal was given an approximate two-month timetable prior to the surgery, but it seems he has a chance to beat that timeline. A clearer picture of the two-time Cy Young winner's potential return date won't be known until he starts ramping up a throwing program, but the early indications for Skubal and the Tigers are encouraging.

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 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.

Troy Melton

RP

Melton missed nearly all of spring training after straining his right elbow in late February, but he reached the final phase of the recovery process by kicking off a minor-league assignment this past weekend. Since Melton resides on Detroit's 60-day injured list and won't be eligible for activation until late May, he'll likely use close to the entire 30-day rehab window in the minors to get stretched back out. He tossed just 32 pitches in Sunday's outing, and while the results weren't flashy, Melton sported a fastball that sat around 95-to-97 miles per hour and topped out in the 98-to-99 mph range. Melton could stick around in Lakeland for another start or two before eventually moving on to one of the Tigers' higher-level affiliates during his rehab assignment.

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.

Framber Valdez

SP

Valdez initially received a six-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Trevor Story during Detroit's 10-3 loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday. Major League Baseball has now shaved a game off Valdez's suspension, which he will begin serving Wednesday. He will be eligible to make his next start May 13 against the Mets in Queens.

Bailey Horn

RP

Horn is coming back from offseason arthroscopic left elbow surgery and was pulled off his rehab assignment last week after incurring a setback. Per MLB.com, Horn recently received a cortisone injection in his elbow, so he'll presumably be shut down from throwing for at least a few days while he waits for the shot to take full effect. The reliever could eventually resume his rehab assignment within the next few weeks, but he won't be eligible for activation until late May.

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.