Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Initial X-rays on Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's right hand came back negative after he was hit on his non-throwing hand by a comebacker in the sixth inning on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies at Comerica Park in a 4-2 loss, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Skubal will go for additional tests. The 27-year-old southpaw finished his outing after being hit in the hand and allowed only one earned run on four hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out six in the no-decision. It's unclear if the Tigers would have sent Skubal back out for the seventh inning against Colorado, if not for his hand injury. Skubal has been a first-time All-Star in 2024 and has had a Cy Young-caliber campaign, as he entered Thursday's contest with a 16-4 record while leading the league with a 2.53 ERA and 2.54 FIP with a career-high 208 K's in 174 innings over 28 starts. He should be able to make his next start.

Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling is getting a day off on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies at Comerica Park. With Vierling starting on the bench, Zach McKinstry will start in right field for the Tigers and will bat seventh against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner. McKinstry has faced Feltner three times in his career and has gone hitless. Vierling has seen regular playing time the last two seasons while in Detroit with a rebuilding franchise. In 129 games so far in 2024, he's hitting .261/.308/.438 with a .746 OPS, career-high 16 home runs, career-high 54 RBI and five steals in 513 plate appearances. He's currently riding a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-14 with a double and three RBI. McKinstry brings little upside as a deep DFS sleeper near the bottom of Detroit's batting order. The 29-year-old has a .226 average with four homers, 22 RBI and 14 steals in 270 at-bats.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Keider Montero was on his game in Tuesday's 11-0 win over the Rockies. Montero took advantage of a favorable matchup inside his home park, tossing a complete-game shutout with three hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. The 24-year-old's season numbers leave something to be desired but he has pitched better in the second half. Specifically, he has gone 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA in eight starts from August onward. He will face a much tougher matchup in his next start against the Orioles. While he has pitched better, fantasy managers may not want to risk starting him in such a tough matchup so deep into the season.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson (shoulder) tossed three scoreless innings (45 total pitches in his second minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Toledo, and he will now rejoin the Tigers to be evaluated. "We'll determine what's next for him. It could be another start in Triple-A, or another plan. We haven't seen him in 10 days, so I'd like to sit down and see how he feels," manager A.J. Hinch said. The 25-year-old could probably use at least one more rehab start to build his arm back up, but it sounds like the Tigers haven't yet decided if his next outing will be back on the farm or for the Tigers. If Olson returns to the Tigers' rotation for his next start, he'll be a poor streaming option for fantasy managers playing for a championship down the stretch. The former 13th-rounder of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 has a solid 3.23 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 92 K's in 19 starts this year, but he last pitched for Detroit on July 20.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (illness) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Torkelson is one of a few players that are battling a minor illness on the Tigers roster. This isn't something that should sideline Torkelson for more than a few days. In his place, Andy Ibanez will cover first base and bat sixth versus right-hander Bradley Blalock. Ibanez has quietly put together a decent season as a reserve player. He's hitting .259 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 84 games. He figures to get more playing time while the Tigers are down a few players.