Detroit Tigers (25-28) vs. Texas Rangers (35-19)
When: 1:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: Comerica Park in Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1 in Detroit; Tigers radio affiliates).
Probable pitchers: Tigers TBA vs. Rangers RHP Dane Dunning (4-0, 1.67 ERA)
DETROIT TIGERS NEWSLETTER: Memorial Day mark a reminder of brighter times for Tigers
Tigers lineup: TBA.
Game notes: Wednesday should be time for Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Joey Wentz to return to the mound, but an official announcement hasn’t been made yet.
All signs point to the Tigers sticking with the 25-year-old lefty who has struggled so far in 2023, at least for the short term. In his last three outings, Wentz has allowed 14 runs on 22 hits and has issued three walks in 8⅔ innings for a 14.54 ERA.
It hasn’t been good and he recognizes that. But right now, the Tigers are opting to go with the confidence-boosting route and seeing if Wentz can turn it around instead of sending him down to Triple-A Toledo.
Part of that is out of necessity. The Tigers already have Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal out with long-term injuries and Eduardo Rodriguez just went on the 15-day IL Tuesday. The Tigers need Wentz to snap out of it, as they’re just two games out of the AL Central lead and need some quality starts.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will be taking on a pitcher who has been red-hot. Dane Dunning has been dealing pretty much all season, especially since moving into a starting role on May 5. Before this season, 61 of his 63 appearances were as a starter. However, in the first eight games this year, he was used in a relief role. In all four starts this season, he has gone at least five innings and allowed only four runs total. Dunning has been filling in for Jacob deGrom, who was injured in late April. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has been extremely complimentary of Dunning, saying “he’s been relentless since spring training.”