The Detroit Tigers’ pitching situation went from concerning to disastrous Tuesday night at Comerica Park.
Just one day after learning ace Tarik Skubal will undergo elbow surgery and miss an estimated two to three months, Detroit watched emergency staff ace Framber Valdez unravel in a humiliating 10-3 blowout loss to the Boston Red Sox.
And by the fourth inning, it looked less like Major League pitching and more like batting practice.
Valdez was shelled from the opening innings, leaving pitches over the heart of the plate and getting punished repeatedly by Boston hitters. The Red Sox barreled up nearly everything they saw, turning Comerica Park into a launching pad while Detroit’s battered pitching staff continued to crumble.
The ugly outing reached a boiling point after Valdez surrendered back-to-back home runs to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu in the fourth inning. On the very next batter, Valdez drilled Trevor Story in the shoulder with a 94 mph fastball, immediately triggering a benches-clearing confrontation.
While no punches were thrown, tensions exploded as Story yelled toward the mound and both dugouts emptied. Home plate umpire Adam Beck quickly ejected Valdez, whose disastrous night ended after just three-plus innings.
Detroit desperately needed length from Valdez after already burning through bullpen games in recent days due to mounting injuries throughout the rotation. Instead, the Tigers got the worst outing of Valdez’s career.
The veteran left-hander allowed 10 runs, seven earned, on nine hits while watching his ERA jump from 3.35 to 4.57 in one catastrophic appearance.
The Tigers’ pitching situation is now bordering on crisis territory.
Skubal is headed for elbow surgery. Casey Mize remains sidelined with a groin injury. Reese Olson is still dealing with shoulder issues. Veteran Justin Verlander continues battling hip problems.
Now Detroit may also have to worry about a possible suspension for Valdez if Major League Baseball determines the pitch to Story was intentional.
Manager A.J. Hinch had little choice but to leave Valdez on the mound despite the damage because the Tigers simply do not have enough healthy starters capable of eating innings right now.
That reality became painfully obvious Tuesday night.
The Tigers entered 2026 believing their pitching staff would carry them into contention. Instead, five weeks into the season, the rotation has become a revolving door of injuries, bullpen games, and emergency situations.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox took full advantage.
Boston improved to 15-21 with the win, pounding Tigers pitching all night while extending Detroit’s losing streak to two games. The Tigers dropped to 18-19 and suddenly look like a team fighting just to survive until reinforcements arrive.
Tuesday night was supposed to be about stabilizing the rotation after losing Skubal.
Instead, it became another reminder that Detroit’s biggest strength may now be turning into its biggest weakness.
Benches clear!
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