MINNEKeynoteUSAOLIS — Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty continues to deal a back injury. The Tigers plan to trade Flaherty, whose contract is expiring, at the July 30 trade deadline, but his value is diminishing with each injection.
It seems like a complicated situation.
So far, Flaherty has needed two injections, over a three-week span, to relieve pain in his lower back. He received the first injection on June 10 and the second on Tuesday. The Tigers have not considered placing Flaherty on the injured list, but he will miss Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
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“It’s pretty normal,” manager AJ Hinch said of the second injection in Flaherty’s back. “It’s similar to what happened last year, where sometimes he got the shot he needed and sometimes he didn’t. He still felt a little off, so another shot was necessary.”
If healthy, Flaherty will start at some point during the four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians that begins Monday at Comerica Park, apparently in line for the opener.
The 28-year-old, who signed a one-year, $14 million contract last December, made his most recent start Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 5⅔ innings.
Flaherty owns a 3.24 ERA with 14 walks (4% walk rate) and 115 strikeouts (33% strikeout rate) in 89 innings over 15 starts. He ranks in the 95th percentile in both walk rate and strikeout rate, while also ranking in the 88th percentile with a 2.87 expected ERA.
It’s been Flaherty’s best season since 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals, when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting, but in 2024 with the Tigers, he has missed two starts with a back injury. He experienced back stiffness for the first time this season in his June 4 start, forcing him to retire early.
“We haven’t talked,” Hinch said, when asked about sending Flaherty to the injured list. “The doctors have told us we could do that by skipping a start and putting him back in the rotation next week. Skipping a start allows the medicine to kick in and make him feel better.”
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Flaherty did not travel with the Tigers to Minneapolis, but stayed in Los Angeles to receive the second injection in his back from the same doctor who administered the first. He is expected to play baseball later this week to check the health of his lower back.
“He’ll be back, hopefully on the mound, this weekend and getting ready for a start,” Hinch said, “which is good news. He’s certainly better than he could be.”
Flaherty also dealt with lower back pain last season, requiring an injection. In 2023, he posted a 4.99 ERA with 66 walks and 148 strikeouts in 144⅓ innings with the Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles.
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Kerry Carpenter closed
Outfielder Kerry Carpenter (stress fracture of lumbar spine) experienced discomfort during his return to play process due to a lower back injury, so he returned to the starting lineup with no further baseball activities.
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Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Tucker Barnhart awaits the pitch during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday, May 19, 2024.”>
The 26-year-old was initially cleared for baseball activities on June 24, putting him on track to potentially return to the Tigers in late July, but was waived after a week of baseball activities, including light hitting drills. The Tigers placed Carpenter on the injured list on May 29, retroactive to May 27.
It’s unclear if Carpenter will return for the 2024 season. He is batting .283 with eight home runs, 11 walks and 38 strikeouts in 50 games, posting a .914 OPS.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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