Alex Lange DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Alex Lange (lat) is having his rehab work moved to Triple-A Toledo, but he is not on an official minor-league rehab assignment, according to the Detroit News' Chris McCosky. Lange was shut down from throwing after a setback in early April due to upper-arm inflammation, but he threw off a mound late last week and continues to build up his arm in hopes of eventually going on a rehab assignment and rejoining Detroit's big-league bullpen before the All-Star break. The 29-year-old had surgery on his lat in July of last year, which is why he has yet to pitch for the Tigers in 2025. The former first-rounder (30th overall) in 2017 out of LSU had a career-high 26 saves for Detroit in 2023 but finished with just two last year while sporting a career-high 4.34 ERA in 21 outings before his surgery. When healthy, he'll be a late-inning setup option for Detroit.

MLive's Evan Woodbery reports that Detroit Tigers right-hander Alex Lange (lat) recently experienced increased upper-arm inflammation. He received multiple opinions, and it has been recommended that he completes a period of rest before resuming his throwing program. Lange underwent surgery on his right lat last June, which forced him to begin the 2025 regular season on the injured list. This setback will lengthen his recovery time, but hopefully he'll be ready to resume his throwing program after a period of rest. The 29-year-old reliever is currently on the 60-day injured, so the earliest he could return to Detroit's bullpen will be in late May. Lange had an ERA over 4.00 and only two saves in 21 relief appearances last year, but he had a 3.68 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a career-high 26 saves for the team in 2023, so he could be in line for a high-leverage role by the end of the season if he overcomes his injury.

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Alex Lange (lat) has begun playing catch three times a week from 120 feet, according to the team. Lange underwent lat surgery in June which caused him to miss the entire second half of the 2024 season. Before the injury, the 29-year-old posted a 3.34 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 18 2/3 innings. He tallied two saves and posted an underwhelming 17:21 BB:K ratio. However, he did generate whiffs at an elite 33.3% mark. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to Spring Training, as he may be able to participate, given his current pace. While Jason Foley will likely operate as the go-to ninth-inning option in Detroit this coming season, Lange could eventually mix in for opportunities as he tallied 26 saves during the 2023 season.