PHILADELPHIA — Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez sounded upbeat and positive about his status following an appointment with a hand specialist about his left index finger.
The doctor cleared him to play catch.
So, Rodriguez played light catch before Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
“After nine days, it feels really good to go out there and play catch,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t really know about a timetable. I just feel happy right now that I was cleared to start playing catch. We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow, the next day and the next day. We’ll go from there. I started playing catch, so that’s all that matters to me right now.”
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Rodriguez, the ace of the starting rotation, injured his finger while pitching May 28 against the Chicago White Sox. He suffered a ruptured A4 pulley, one of the tunnels for the tendons, in his left index finger.
The Tigers sent Rodriguez to the injured list May 29.
The 30-year-old could miss roughly 10 weeks, according to a different hand specialist without direct knowledge of Rodriguez’s situation, but the fact that he is already playing catch is a positive sign for an accelerated return process.
“Getting good news, especially with as many guys as we have hurt, feels really good,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Rodriguez’s appointment. “Optimism is always key, but it’s going to take some time.”
In 11 starts, Rodriguez has a 2.13 ERA with 16 walks and 67 strikeouts across 67⅔ innings, and his 1.6 fWAR leads the Tigers’ pitching staff. He owns a 1.40 ERA in his past nine starts, dating back to April 12.
Rodriguez was sidelined during the best stretch of his eight-year career.
“There was tightness from the swelling that was in my finger,” Rodriguez said. “There was no pain. It was just tight from swelling. It was hard to bend (the left index finger) because of the swelling.”
Rodriguez, who signed a five-year, $77 million contract in November 2021, has an opt-out clause in his contract after this season.
Right-hander Alex Faedo, who landed on the injured list with right middle finger discomfort, visited the same hand specialist. The doctor removed a portion of the fingernail on his middle finger.
“That’s what I think was continuing to cause me to get blisters and bleed while pitching,” Faedo said. “Get it done now and be good for the rest of the year.”
Faedo expects to return to the starting rotation “sooner rather than later.”
Matt Manning ‘looking forward’ to rehab assignment
Right-hander Matt Manning threw roughly 35 pitches in Tuesday’s live batting practice, simulating two innings, at Citizens Bank Park. The 25-year-old is returning from a right foot fracture.
Next up, Manning will start a rehab assignment.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Manning said. “Whatever they tell me to do, I’ll go wherever and throw as many (pitches, innings) as they need. I’m just waiting right now. … My mindset right now is to throw everything as hard as I can and go compete and play with what I got.”
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This season, Manning posted a 4.63 ERA with three walks and seven strikeouts across 11⅔ innings in two starts before a comebacker on the final pitch of his April 11 outing broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
During Tuesday’s live batting practice, three important members of the Tigers watched and evaluated Manning’s performance: Hinch, pitching coach Chris Fetter and president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
“He was really good,” Hinch said. “He’s ready to go to whatever the next challenge is. Hopefully, he comes out of it feeling good. His fastball is as good as it’s been during this stretch.”
While injured, Manning worked on his throwing with pitching coaches Fetter, Robin Lund and Juan Nieves. Manning said his fastball reached 98 mph while throwing to hitters in Tuesday’s session.
“I think he’s unlocked some keys,” Hinch said. “They’ve done a whole deep dive on how to get a better fastball and how to make his other stuff even better. Him being able to let go with zero hesitation is key.”
Manning also went through fielding drills.
“That arguably is probably just as important as the throwing,” Hinch said. “Being able to interact with the bag, the sprinting, the unplanned part of (pitching fielding practice). As simple as that sounds, that was a big hurdle, too.”
Three rehabbing players
Right-hander Beau Brieske (right ulnar nerve entrapment) will begin his rehab assignment Wednesday with High-A West Michigan. The 25-year-old will serve as the starting pitcher in Wednesday’s game, but the Tigers haven’t revealed if he will be used as a starter or a reliever moving forward.
“We’re in June, and this is the first action he’s had since (spring training),” Hinch said. “We really just want him to get through one inning and let us assess. We’ll have to make some decisions along the way. … Let’s clear the first hurdle and see what happens.”
Left-hander Tarik Skubal — coming back from left flexor tendon surgery — will make his second rehab start Friday with High-A West Michigan. The 26-year-old threw a bullpen Tuesday with Triple-A Toledo. He previously pitched two scoreless innings and threw 12 pitches Sunday with the Whitecaps in his first rehab start.
Outfielder Kerry Carpenter (right shoulder sprain), currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo, started throwing to bases Tuesday. The 25-year-old has been limited to designated hitter through his first seven games with the Mud Hens, hitting .148 with four walks and 11 strikeouts in 31 plate appearances.
Playing games in the outfield will open the door for Carpenter’s return to the Tigers.
‘We’ve missed him on this trip’
Outfielder Riley Greene (left fibula stress reaction) played catch Tuesday at Comerica Park.
The 22-year-old, who could miss four to six weeks, is scheduled to travel with the Tigers for the next roadtrip — a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field from June 15-18 — but won’t be an active player.
“I haven’t had to talk about a throwing program in a really long time,” Hinch said. “I think it will help get him back into the baseball mode. We’ve missed him on this trip, his personality and liveliness around the dugout. … Getting him to do something other than grind our games is fun.”
Other medical updates
• Right-handed reliever Freddy Pacheco, whom the Tigers claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals as an injured player in spring training, underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday, meaning he will miss the remainder of the 2023 season. The 25-year-old is a member of the Tigers’ 40-man roster and will need to be activated from the 60-day injured list before the offseason begins.
• After Monday’s MRI, right-hander Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort) has been cleared to advance with upper body strength and conditioning exercises. He started seven games, posting a 7.26 ERA, before landing on the injured list.
• Outfielder Matt Vierling (low back soreness) has been running, hitting off the tee and playing catch since this past weekend. He stood in the batter’s box and tracked pitches during Manning’s live batting practice. “He was on the Miguel Vargas program,” Hinch said, laughing. The Tigers have increased Vierling’s intensity and workload because he hasn’t had any setbacks in his rehab process, which could lead to a rehab assignment in the near future.
• Right-handed reliever Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice Wednesday.
New starter in Toledo
The Tigers signed left-hander Bryan Sammons to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Toledo. He joined the starting rotation and completed four innings Sunday for the Mud Hens.
But Sammons allowed five runs (for a 11.25 ERA) on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
The 28-year-old pitched five games in the Atlantic League, an independent league, before the Tigers signed him. He posted a 2.29 ERA with five walks and 26 strikeouts across 19⅔ innings.
Sammons was selected in the eighth round of the 2017 draft by the Minnesota Twins.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.