Probables: Friday – TBA vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (3-3, 3.64); Saturday – RHP Casey Mize (8-2, 2.86) vs. LHP Logan Allen (5-6, 4.27); Sunday – LHP Tarik Skubal (10-2, 2.15) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (5-4, 3.86).
Tigers: This is set up to be right-hander Reese Olson’s return from the injured list. He’s been out since May 18 with inflammation in his right ring finger. The Tigers would announce the roster move before the game. In his six starts before the injury, he’d allowed just six runs in 33.2 innings with 38 strikeouts and 11 walks.
Cecconi, Guardians: He beat the Tigers at Comerica Park on May 23, holding them to a run with six strikeouts over six innings. He’s been hit harder than his baseball card numbers indicate. His 92-mph average exit velocity and 50.4% hard-hit rate rank in the bottom 2% in baseball. His slider and curveball, both holding hitters to a .143 average, have bailed him out. Opponents are hitting .324 and slugging .515 against his 94.5-mph four-seamer.
From the News on the Tigers baserunning and outs at home.
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Outs at home
When Matt Vierling was thrown out at home to end the sixth inning, trying to score from first on a double by Colt Keith, it was the 13th time a Tiger has been thrown out at the plate.
That’s the fourth most in the big leagues.
The Tigers also lead baseball with a 54% success rate on extra bases taken.
According to Hinch, the good trumps the bad in that category.
“We are going to make other teams make plays,” he said. “We’ve seen it work out a ton of times and that’s because we are fearless with how we go about it. But it’s not careless. We’ve studied it. We’ve watched it and (third base coach) Joey Cora is aggressive.
“We get so many benefits that we don’t talk about on these close plays because of that. That’s why I don’t mind when we’re over aggressive and they end up making a play. We will move on to the next play.”
The next play on Wednesday came in the very next inning when Cora aggressively sent Torres home from first on a double by Jones and he barely beat the hurried throw.
“You can’t play this game careful,” Hinch said. “You end up in bad spots if you go base to base.”
Right hander Reese Olson caught an early flight to Cleveland Thursday ahead of his teammates to prepare for what will likely be his first start since May 18.
“With where our rotation is at, it’s important,” said Hinch, who said the move won’t be official until before the game Friday. “He’s really good. He’s one of the more underrated guys that we’ve lost. He doesn’t get a lot of attention, but we love it when he pitches.”
The Tigers finished the series in Washington with eight relievers and one extra position player. It’s possible that a position player gets optioned back to make room for Olson.
