Detroit Tigers rotation takes another hit as Tyler Alexander heads to the IL

The Detroit Tigers are pushing along with the 2022 season. After a tough series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, they are trying to get back on track and figure things out. One of the areas needing improvement is the team’s starting rotation.

Oddly enough, the Detroit Tigers were expecting vast improvements out of the rotation in 2022, but injuries have hindered that early on. On top of that, the players the team was hoping to step up have not quite pulled it off yet.

Though Tarik Skubal has been a bright spot, others have not. Casey Mize’s departure from the Injured List (IL) has not made things easy either. After just four starts, they will be losing left-hander Tyler Alexander to the IL to join Mize.

Alexander has not been the pitcher the Tigers have been expecting him to be, and he now finds himself out with injury as an elbow sprain will keep him out for a week or so. The injury leaves the rotation to take another hit as it’s already in a tough spot. This likely meaning that the Tigers will rely on more of the young arms to try and make an impact early on.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tyler Alexander is headed to the IL.

The move to the IL comes at a good time for the Tigers, who have to trim down their roster to 26 players from the 28-man roster the season began with. But, now Alexander joins Mize and Matt Manning as players on the road to recovery.

This also means that Beau Brieske will continue to be one of the team’s starting pitchers, which was not exactly expected coming into the season, at least not in this capacity. But without Alexander, the team has to do something.

Alexander was already struggling when he was pitching, with four starts that only accumulated 12.1 innings pitched, where he has an 8.76 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP, and has allowed 12 runs thus far while walking five and striking out nine.

It makes it a little more understandable as to why his performance resulted in what it has so far, especially if he has been dealing with some medical issues. But, as has been mentioned before, the Tigers need to find a happy medium with Alexander.

If this mean’s he’s a one-time through the order guy, then so be it. For now, the team will need Alexander to focus on getting healthy and back on the mound. The rotation will remain bleak until then, with Skubal leading the way.

It’s not the start the Tigers envisioned, but it’s the start they have to role with.