Detroit Tigers star pitcher Framber Valdez had a bit of a meltdown Tuesday night, hitting Boston Red Sox infielder Trevor Story in the back with a fastball.
This caused Valdez to be ejected, as well as a brief bench-clearing. This will now come back to bite him.
According to ESPN’s Alden González, Valdez has received a six-game suspension for his act.
He’ll begin serving the suspension unless he appeals.
Manager A.J. Hinch has also received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine. He will be serving his suspension tonight.
What Does This Mean for the Detroit Tigers?
Valdez’s frustration after giving up 10 runs (seven earned) in three innings was valid. His reaction was not.
Hitting Story will now result in a lengthy absence for Detroit’s star pitcher.
After the news on Monday of ace and two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal’s elbow surgery, Detroit has lost its 1-2 punch in the rotation.
This leaves Detroit’s rotation in disarray.
With Skubal, Justin Verlander and Casey Mize on the injured list, Detroit’s rotation is incredibly thin right now.
Keider Montero and Jack Flaherty will have to pick up the slack as the only healthy starters on the team right now, per Detroit’s depth chart.
While Detroit will likely use an opener for at least one of its open rotation spots, the Tigers have a much-needed off day on Thursday to reset.
So what is to come for this Detroit rotation?
The Tigers will likely have to call someone up from the minors to replace Valdez in the rotation for the time being.
As of now, there aren’t many options on the 40-man roster, and it’s unclear who will be replacing both Skubal and Valdez.
As Detroit looks to get its season back on track, Valdez has put them further behind the 8-ball.
How Has Valdez Fared This Season?
Despite Detroit’s sub-.500 record through 37 games, the team is tied for the AL Central lead with the Cleveland Guardians.
Their big signing of the offseason has not performed up to par.
Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers in February. His average annual value of $38.33 million was the highest ever for a left-handed pitcher.
However, his performance has not reflected the money he is earning.
In eight starts (including Tuesday night’s), Valdez has pitched to a 4.57 ERA in 43.1 innings. He has racked up 35 strikeouts, but has walked 15 batters.
His 7.3 K/9 would be the lowest of his career. While Valdez is not necessarily a strikeout pitcher, this number is concerning nonetheless.
According to Baseball Savant, Valdez has a 4.32 xERA, meaning his performance has not necessarily been that unlucky.
While he is still inducing ground balls at an elite rate (86th percentile), he has already given up five home runs this season, and his 1.0 HR/9 would be the second-highest of his career.
With Skubal out multiple months, Valdez is now the presumptive ace of this rotation, and he needs to pitch like it.
Valdez will need to return with some strong performances in order to help buoy Detroit’s season, as they attempt to get above .500 and take a winnable division.
Tigers Pitcher to Serve Suspension After Tuesday Night Meltdown