One year after making the postseason, the Detroit Tigers have surged to the top of the American League this season. The difference between last year’s team that needed a late-season surge to get in and this year’s team that’s cruising to a playoff berth is the performance of a starting rotation that ranks third in baseball with a 3.31 ERA.
While the Tigers have been dominant on the mound, they hit a few speed bumps in June. Tarik Skubal has been just as dominant as his 2024 Cy Young Award campaign, but Casey Mize has been dealing with a hamstring issue and Jack Flaherty has gone off the rails after a rough month.
The good news is that there are reinforcements along the way and it includes the return of a Tigers starter that is at the end of a lengthy rehab process.
Reese Olson to Rejoin Tigers During Upcoming Guardians Series
According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that Reese Olson has completed his rehab assignment from a finger injury and will return to the rotation during this weekend’s series against the Cleveland Guardians.
AJ Hinch said Reese Olson's next start will be in the big leagues, most likely in the Cleveland series. Possibly Friday.
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) July 2, 2025
While McCosky also noted Olson could return in Friday’s series opener, the Tigers will be anxious to see Olson back on the mound. The right-hander was cruising during the opening weeks of the season, going 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA before going on the injured list with right ring finger inflammation on May 19. Olson has also posted a career-high 25.4% strikeout rate in 48.2 innings.
Detroit entered Wednesday with a 12-game lead over the Guardians in the American League Central, but Olson’s recovery is great news. The Tigers have been using their pitching depth to perfection this season, using a six-man rotation earlier in the year and adjusting as injuries popped up along the way.
If Olson is able to return to his early-season form, the Tigers can spend the weeks leading up to the trade deadline shoring up some of their other needs including a right-handed bat and some help in the bullpen. Everything should slot into the October puzzle Detroit is trying to put together and should help them make a push toward their first American League pennant since 2012.