The Detroit Tigers are officially in dire straights, having lost 11 of their last 15 games and all but officially fallen out of the postseason race in the American League Standings.
They weren’t aided with their listless 11-1 loss on Monday evening at the hands of the divisional rival Minnesota Twins, and ahead of Tuesday evening’s second game of the series, they were dealt discouraging injury news.
Relief pitcher Burch Smith, who was placed on the 60-Day IL and has been unavailable since late May, recently underwent a surgical arthroscopic procedure on his right shoulder, and his season is likely finished.
The news was confirmed by Tigers beat writer Chris McCosky, who wrote the following update on X:
“Burch Smith had an arthroscopic procedure on his right shoulder yesterday. Season most likely over for him.”
The Detroit Tigers Have Lost Relief Pitcher Burch Smith for the Remainder of the Season
Smith was a 14th-round pick by the San Diego Padres in 2011 who soon rose through the ranks, earning a major league call-up in 2013 after a strong start at Double-A. He debuted that May, spending the season moving between San Diego and Triple-A Tucson while making eight starts and striking out 31 for the Padres.
Since then, he’s played for numerous teams and various leagues.
After joining the Tampa Bay Rays in a 2014 trade, he missed the following season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He later pitched for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s before heading overseas, spending time with Japan’s Saitama Seibu Lions and South Korea’s Hanwha Eagles.
Smith returned to MLB in 2024, appearing for both the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles, then spent 2025 in the system of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He signed with Detroit that offseason and opened 2026 with the Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens, posting a 1.80 ERA over 10 innings before earning a call-up to the Tigers in April.
So far this season with Detroit, Smith has a 3.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts and a 1.47 WHIP across 13 games played.
The Tigers Have Fallen on Hard Times
While the Tigers were able to stay hot after trading both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, they’ve fallen on hard times of late and tumbled out of the postseason race.
They’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games, and are now 11 games below the .500 mark at 63-74; they’re also a full six games back of a Wild Card spot.
Tigers Pitcher Likely Done for Remainder of 2026 Following Surgery