The Detroit Tigers are going to be in the hunt for the AL pennant this fall once the postseason begins. That much is known. What their path to the World Series looks like and whether they'll have homefield advantage throughout is still to be decided.
This is one of the reasons why the midseason acquisition of closer Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals was so important for Detroit down the home stretch. It is also one of the biggest reasons for concern now that Finnegan is on the 15-day IL with a groin injury he suffered while warming up in the bullpen earlier this week.
Entering Saturday's slate of games, the Tigers found themselves 1.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League. Having a player that the coaching staff is confident can come in and shut down an opposing offense in the ninth inning is of paramount importance at this stage of the season. Now, Detroit has to turn to the player Finnegan was brought in to replace for the time being.
Tigers RP Tommy Kahnle Must Step Up with Kyle Finnegan Heading to IL
With Finnegan sidelined, Will Vest will return to his spot as the Tigers' closer until their midseason acquisition is healthy enough to return. Vest isn't the focus of this story, though. Instead, Tommy Kahnle is the reliever who must step up the most if Detroit is going to weather the storm.
The 36-year-old righty has seen it all over his MLB career, having suited up for the likes of the Dodgers, Yankees, White Sox, and Rockies before joining the Tigers before the 2025 season. In 55 appearances for the Tigers, Kahnle owns a 1-3 record and an ERA of 4.61.
The biggest reason why Kahnle must raise his game, though, relates to the disastrous month of July he endured. Kahnle worked 7.1 innings over 11 appearances throughout July and, to put it bluntly, he was atrocious. The veteran reliever recorded one win, three losses, and a blown save during the month. In those 7.1 innings of work, Kahnle gave up 16 earned runs on 16 hits, including four home runs allowed. His ERA of 19.64 for the month speaks for itself.
Fortunately, Kahnle seems to be finding a bit of a groove now that we've entered September. In two appearances thus far, the right-hander has recorded one hold in 1.2 innings pitched. He has given up just one hit and no earned runs.
With every game only meaning more from this point forward, Kahnle must keep this up. Not only will it help the Tigers be at their best once the postseason arrives, but it could also be one of the biggest determining factors in whether Detroit enjoys home-field advantage throughout its run in the AL playoffs.