The Detroit Tigers are equipped with some of the most prominent pitchers in the Major Leagues.
But as the story goes, the IL knocked down a handful of their starters, including Jack Flaherty.
However, according to baseball writer Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, he’s slowly inching his way back to the ballclub.
Tigers’ Jack Flaherty Approaches Rehab Start
GettyStarting pitcher Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers is scheduled to make a rehab start on Tuesday
As reported by Stavenhagen, 30-year-old Flaherty is scheduled to make a rehab start on Tuesday, June 23, with Double-A Erie.
“Reports coming out of Flaherty’s bullpen session are all positive,” he wrote.
Reports coming out of Flaherty’s bullpen session are all positive
Per the Tigers’ injury report, Flaherty’s IL date reflects June 13. His last game appearance took place on June 12 against the Cleveland Guardians.
He was diagnosed with a left peroneal strain.
Jack Flaherty’s MLB Career
GettyDetroit Tigers’ starter Jack Flaherty previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
The veteran right-hander is in the midst of his 10th season playing Major League Baseball.
In 2014, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him 34th overall in the first round of the MLB draft. A few years later, in September 2017, he made his official debut.
Flaherty spent seven years with the Cardinals before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles.
In return, St. Louis received minor leaguer Zack Showalter, along with César Prieto and Drew Rom.
However, in December 2023, he signed with Detroit as a free agent, but he only spent a short stint with the Tigers.
They shipped him out to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.
He finally made a return to Detroit ahead of the 2025 season.
This marks his second complete campaign with the ballclub.
Flaherty’s 2026 Campaign
GettyJack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers will make a rehab appearance on Tuesday
So far this season, Flaherty is riding a 5.35 ERA and 78 strikeouts across 65.2 innings pitched through 15 starts.
Of course, this can only be taken with a grain of salt — his injury has been quite a setback.
Overall, he carries a career 3.89 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.
Compared to his most productive season, which is widely considered to be his 2019 campaign with the Cardinals, this has not been a sparkling year.
For reference, in 2019, he logged a 2.75 ERA and an impressive 231 strikeouts across 196.1 innings of work through 33 starts.
Welcoming Flaherty back to Detroit’s starting rotation sooner rather than later is ideal, but for now, he’s preparing to enter a rehab start.
In the meantime, the Tigers will be hosting the New York Yankees at Comerica Park for a homestand series.
The first clash kicks off on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. ET.
Heading into the matchup, Detroit is 33-44 overall, placing them in second-to-last place in the American League Central standings.
As for the Yankees, they are 46-30 overall, ultimately leading the American League East.
The Tigers are coming off a clean sweep of their latest set against the Chicago White Sox, so they’re entering this series with a bit of an edge.
New York is on the opposite end — the organization just faced two consecutive losses to the Cincinnati Reds.
Detroit Tigers Provide New Update on Injured Jack Flaherty Before Yankees Series