Although the Detroit Tigers were able to pick up the third game of their series against the New York Mets after dropping the first two, they received concerning news about reliever Kyle Finnegan who appeared to injure himself while warming up in the bullpen during the game. Finnegan threw a pitch and then crouched down and appeared to be in pain.
He hasn’t allowed a single run in 12 appearances with the Tigers since they traded for him at the deadline
Early reports indicate that the pain is in Finnegan’s right groin, though no official statement has come regarding what his injury status is or will be.
Finnegan, who was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, has been outstanding in his 12 appearances with the Tigers. In 14.1 innings he is yet to allow a run, while racking up 19 strikeouts and only allowing three hits and three walks.
The Tigers have all but clinched the AL Central and have been one of the best teams in the MLB all season long. Finnegan has been a huge part of that back-end success in the last month, so any long-term injury could cause a real issue for Detroit as they head towards the playoffs.
Change of Scenery Has Helped Finnegan
Sporting a career ERA of 3.51 and acting as the Nationals closer for much of his six season tenure in D.C., Finnegan’s arrival in Detroit has seemingly revived what had been a productive but largely mediocre career. With the Nationals this season, he had below average numbers: a record of 1-4 with a 4.38 ERA which was on track to be the worst of his career.
Who knows if it’s been the pitching coaches in Detroit, the shakeup of competition or simply being a part of a winning baseball team after years in basement with Washington, but Finnegan is a different pitcher as a Tiger than he had been in his career.
Where to Turn in Bullpen if Finnegan Misses Time
Detroit, already missing Paul Sewald, will have to rely on the rest of their bullpen to pick up some of the slack in front of closer Will Vest, who has been great this season. Tommy Kahnle and Tyler Holton will have to elevate their late-inning effectiveness as set up men in lieu of Finnegan who has been in that role since he was acquired.
Although the Tigers have been a front-running team all season, it has come in spite of their pitching, which outside of AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal has been spotty at best. The Tigers sit around 10th in MLB pitching stats in most major categories (ERA, strikeouts, batting average against), and although their elite offense has carried them this far, a lackluster and injured pitching staff is not something that bodes well for a deep playoff run.
Tigers Get Troubling News on Key Reliever During Victory Over Mets