Tigers Make Jack Flaherty Announcement Amid Disappointing Season
Just as they welcome their ace Tarik Skubal back to the mound, the Detroit Tigers have lost yet another piece of their rotation to the injured list.
On Saturday, ahead of their game against the Cleveland Guardians, the Tigers announced that starting pitcher Jack Flaherty will be placed on the 15-day IL for the first time this season. Flaherty was the only remaining rotation member of the Opening Day roster not to miss any time due to injury. The veteran pitcher joins Justin Verlander, Casey Mize, and Jackson Jobe on the IL, just as Skubal makes his return to face the Guardians today.
The Tigers today activated LHP Tarik Skubal off the 15-day injured list and optioned RHP Ty Madden to Triple-A Toledo. Additionally, RHP Jack Flaherty was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left peroneal strain and INF Hao-Yu Lee was recalled from Triple-A.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) June 13, 2026
The time off could do Flaherty some good. He's struggled since signing a two-year deal in the 2024-2025 offseason to return to the Tigers for a second stint. So far in 15 games this year, Flaherty has a 1-8 record with a 5.35 ERA and 1.569 WHIP. His eight losses lead MLB, picking up where he left off last year, as he led the American League with 15 losses in 2025.
The Tigers are calling Flaherty's injury a left peroneal strain and have not provided a potential timeline for his return. Flaherty slipped awkwardly on the mound after delivering a pitch during the first inning in his start against the Guardians on Friday. He managed to stay in the game but was pulled in the fourth inning. Flaherty mentioned after the game that his leg "tightened up" on him between the first and second inning, and then he further aggravated it while running to make an out at first base.
Here's the pitch where Jack Flaherty slipped on the mound in the first inning. pic.twitter.com/XV9mngM1yC
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) June 13, 2026
Much of the discussion around the Tigers this season has been whether the team will trade Skubal by the trade deadline in August. The team was projected to win the AL Central division before the season started, but has struggled out of the gate. An oft-injured rotation has been a major source of the Tigers' inconsistency, and they currently sit in fourth place in the AL Central division and 5.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.
In a corresponding move, the Tigers activated Skubal for his start on Saturday and recalled infielder Hao-Yu Lee from Triple-A Toledo.
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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 3:48 PM.