Detroit Free Press

The improving Detroit Tigers bullpen, has a combined 1.94 ERA — ranking third-best in baseball and first in the American League — since May 16. Around the same time, a left-hander previously described by manager AJ Hinch as a weapon started to perform better: Daniel Norris. “For me, it was just trying to find a rhythm,” Norris said Sunday.

Detroit Tigers rookie Tarik Skubal walked off the mound Sunday after completing the sixth inning. He got a fist bump from catcher Eric Haase — and a firm handshake from manager AJ Hinch — after his eight-strikeout performance. Even better, a standing ovation from the fans at Comerica Park. Skubal, 24, led the Tigers (22-31) to

Detroit Tigers third base coach Chip Hale tossed up both hands, instructing Miguel Cabrera not to try to score from first base — something he hasn’t done since 2019 — on Nomar Mazara’s double to left field in the first inning. Cabrera, however, did not stop. “We joked with Miggy in the dugout,” Tigers manager

Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch isn’t calling Grayson Greiner’s situation a setback, but there is a delay in the backup catcher’s return from the injured list. Greiner hasn’t played during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo since Thursday, his second game for the Mud Hens. He was placed on the 10-day injured list May 12 with a

Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch doesn’t like accepting moral victories or silver linings. The 2017 World Series winner with the highest managerial winning percentage in Houston Astros history, Hinch views the game in two ways. You win or you lose. The Tigers have done more losing than winning this season, with a 21-31 record. They’re in last place

It’s not always the stuff that counts. Though if you’re building an ace pitcher, you could do a lot worse than starting with the arm talent of Detroit Tigers rookie Casey Mize. He throws four pitches well. Two of them — his splitter and breaking ball — are punchout-quality no matter the count or hitter. He can also throw any

After Detroit Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull found his groove on the mound, his offense provided him with run support. The loudest punch was delivered by Jonathan Schoop, who hammered a 382-foot home run to left field for a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning. But the key runs were plated earlier in the fifth, thanks to doubles

Casey Mize dealt a strong hand Friday against the New York Yankees to match Gerrit Cole, arguably the best pitcher on the planet. His efforts allowed the Detroit Tigers to have a chance against baseball’s royalty. In five0 starts in May, the 24-year-old Mize had a 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP, 10 walks and 27 strikeouts in 31 innings.

The Detroit Tigers are giving one of their up-and-coming infielders an opportunity, as right-hander Jose Urena was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with a right forearm strain, the team announced Saturday. To fill Urena’s roster spot, the Tigers recalled infielder Zack Short from Triple-A Toledo. Urena, 29, was removed from Wednesday’s

The Detroit Tigers needed a leader. To fill the role, they called Robbie Grossman in the offseason. “It’s very personal for me,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Friday night, after Grossman crushed a two-run walk-off homer to beat the New York Yankees, 3-2, in the 10th inning at Comerica Park. “I saw him as a young player.

The series opener between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees featured a significant pitching matchup: Rookie Casey Mize — a former No. 1 overall pick evolving into a future top starter — squared off against 30-year-old Gerrit Cole, an established ace (and former No. 1 overall pick himself) seeking his first Cy Young award.

If Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch had to decide right now, he would skip Jose Urena’s next start — scheduled for Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers — because of lower right forearm cramping. Urena, 29, was removed from Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Cleveland with two outs in the sixth inning. He threw 82 pitches but started dealing with pain

The skies were cloudy for the Detroit Tigers‘ series finale against Cleveland on Thursday, but no snow was falling, with a gametime temperature in the 60s. Likewise, Miguel Cabrera wasn’t in the lineup, getting a day off instead. And Matthew Boyd couldn’t keep up with the ace he was facing. Yes, there was a lot

What Cleveland did to Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd was precisely what the Tigers wanted to do against Cleveland ace Shane Bieber. Manager AJ Hinch asked his team to make Bieber, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, battle deep into counts. The Tigers hoped to pressure him into making costly mistakes. They needed to score the

Detroit Tigers outfielder Nomar Mazara’s name wasn’t penciled into manager AJ Hinch’s lineup card for Thursday’s four-game series finale against Cleveland. The finale wasn’t supposed to be an off day for Mazara. But those plans changed. Hinch wants him to work with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and assistant hitting coach Jose Cruz Jr. to prepare for

Jacob Robson, the hottest player in the Detroit Tigers‘ minor league system, is taking a leave of absence, at least for a few weeks, with the Tigers’ blessing. Robson, a 26-year-old outfielder, has been called up by the big club. His country. Robson has left the Double-A Erie SeaWolves to play for Canada, which is

When Detroit Tigers left-hander Derek Holland recorded his first of three strikeouts Tuesday against Cleveland, first baseman Miguel Cabrera tossed the baseball into the dugout and chirped at his reliever for the remainder of the ninth inning. Cabrera knew what Holland knew: He had recorded the 1,200th strikeout of his 13-year career. “You never imagine

Detroit Tigers starter Jose Urena tossed one pitch to Cleveland’s Eddie Rosario with two outs in the sixth inning. Athletic trainer Doug Teter noticed something abnormal and marched to the mound alongside manager AJ Hinch. Urena, 29, was removed from Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Comerica Park with lower right forearm cramping, which manager AJ Hinch

Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie wasn’t supposed to pitch this well against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The 23-year-old, a first-round draft pick in 2015, had walked 30 batters in 31⅓ innings with a 6.89 ERA across eight games this season, forcing a demotion to Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland needed a starter because of injuries, so the organization called

Detroit Tigers rookie Tarik Skubal is making improvements. He is learning to mix his pitches to generate strikeouts, as displayed by back-to-back outings with nine strikeouts. He ditched his new splitter for his old changeup, and his fastball velocity is back to topping out at 98 mph. Skubal, 24, is more comfortable on the mound than