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New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
With Reese Olson injured, here's why the Tigers traded for Chris Paddack
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers' front office maintains a text thread for medical updates. President of baseball operations Scott Harris cringes every time he sees one of those texts light up his phone. 'You open it up, and you just never know what you're gonna find,' Harris said. Over the past few days, Harris got a few more of those unfortunate messages. The big one was this: Right-handed pitcher Reese Olson is out for the regular season after suffering a shoulder strain. Olson reported discomfort in his Saturday bullpen session. An MRI revealed the strain. He's undergoing further testing before the Tigers will know the full extent of the injury and whether Olson has any chance of pitching this postseason. Advertisement Disheartening as it is, it's likely a good thing the news came now rather than days later. It is trade season, and moves and rumors are flying. Harris went to work, and the Tigers cut a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Detroit acquired right-handed pitchers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak in exchange for minor-league catcher Enrique Jimenez on Monday. Paddack will start for the Tigers on Wednesday. Dobnak will report to Triple A. 'As soon as I heard about Reese, I wanted to make sure that we could strengthen our rotation,' Harris said Monday afternoon. 'It's always hard around the trade deadline. There's a lot of conversations going on, a lot of scenarios for every target available. We were very pleased we were able to add a starter early enough before the trade deadline to strengthen our pitching. Again, we wish we could have added Chris and kept Reese, but that just wasn't in the cards for us.' Prior to Olson's injury, Paddack did not seem like a pitcher who fit the Tigers' deadline priorities. The 29-year-old right-hander has a 4.49 career ERA. This season with the Twins, Paddack had a 4.95 ERA in 21 starts. Although Paddack has near-elite extension in his delivery and the ability to limit walks, his 17.6 percent strikeout rate is a career low. He profiles more as a strike-throwing innings eater than as the type of frontline starter who could give the Tigers a boost in the postseason. But especially after the Olson news, innings is exactly what the Tigers need. 'It's hard losing Reese Olson,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'He's a huge, huge guy that I trust.' Detroit has ace Tarik Skubal atop its rotation. Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty are capable starters. Since losing Jackson Jobe to a UCL tear, however, the Tigers have largely cycled through starters at the back end of their rotation. Keider Montero has a 4.66 ERA in 73 1/3 innings. Rookie Troy Melton made his second start Monday against Arizona. The likes of Dietrich Enns and Sawyer Gipson-Long have pitched in, too. Advertisement As the season progresses, the Tigers could turn to veteran José Urquidy, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, as an option. Melton could remain in the rotation or move to the bullpen. Paddack could perhaps serve as a more stable rotation option for a staff with its share of questions. Paddack allowed only one run over six innings in his most recent start against the Dodgers. He is a fly-ball pitcher who will not be hurt by Comerica Park's expansive dimensions. His 113 location+ rating is another reminder of his above-average command. Paddack is a free agent after the season. Fans might not rush to order his jersey, but there will be a role for him to fill in this Tigers' rotation. 'We really like his fastball,' Harris said. 'He's a plus strike-thrower with at least plus extension. We still feel like he has the weapons to attack hitters in different ways. We feel like he fits our ballpark really well, and he makes hitters uncomfortable. He goes right after hitters. That's always been our pitching philosophy, and we think he's gonna fit in really well here.' Dobnak, the other pitcher acquired in the deal, will report to Triple-A Toledo. Dobnak has thrown only 15 innings in the major leagues since 2021. He had a 7.12 ERA in 60 2/3 innings in Triple A this season. The 30-year-old is making $3 million in 2025 and might not amount to anything more than depth for the Tigers. His contract structure, however, is interesting: Dobnak has team options for each of the next three seasons, worth $6 million, $7 million and $8.5 million, respectively. The buyout for next year's option is $1 million but declines to only $100,000 for 2027 and 2028. Moving Dobnak's salary and buyout could have played a role in the Twins' decision to include him in this trade. Advertisement 'It's a guy who has pitched in the big leagues,' Harris said. 'He knows what it takes to pitch in the big leagues. This time of year, we want to get as much pitching as we can.' Jimenez is a 19-year-old who was hitting .250 with a .339 on-base percentage in rookie ball. The Athletic ranked him as Detroit's No. 12 prospect. Keith Law wrote Jimenez projects as 'at least a solid backup with a chance for more.' Jimenez is a decent prospect to send to a division foe in exchange for a rental pitcher and a glorified project in Dobnak. But the Tigers' system depth at catcher, highlighted by Thayron Liranzo and catcher/first baseman Josue Briceno, seemingly made Detroit more comfortable trading Jimenez. 'We have a couple pretty famous prospects coming through the system that we're excited about,' Harris said. 'We felt like given our needs in the rotation, especially after the Reese news, that it was something we had to give up to add a starter to our mix.' The Tigers also put center fielder Parker Meadows on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain as part of a flurry of roster moves Monday. Because Paddack has not yet joined the active roster, the Tigers had two open spots for Olson and Meadows. Utility players Andy Ibáñez and Ryan Kreidler joined the Tigers on Monday. The Meadows injury is a particularly difficult blow for a player who already endured a lengthy IL stint with a nerve issue in his throwing arm earlier this season. Meadows had — and still has — a chance to be a real X-factor for the Tigers down the stretch. Meadows had an .840 OPS and played top-tier defense in center field in August and September last season. But Meadows struggled to shake off rust after finally returning from the IL in 2025. He was hitting only .200 in 38 games this season. Advertisement In Sunday's victory against the Blue Jays, the Tigers noticed something off with Meadows both on the field and in the bases. Hinch pinch-hit for Meadows with Jahmai Jones — something that did not seem unusual at the time — in the eighth inning despite a large Tigers lead. Meadows had been getting treatment on his quad, and subsequent testing revealed a strain. 'Fortunately, we think we caught it early,' Harris said. 'There won't be a tear or a high-grade strain. We're hopeful that he will be back soon. He's still going through some tests, so I can't really forecast his return to play, but I think the good part is we caught it early.' Matt Vierling is the most likely to see time in center field in Meadows' absence, with Javier Báez and Wenceel Pérez also in the mix. (Top photo of Chris Paddack: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Detroit Tigers lose pitcher Reese Olson for season: What it means for World Series contender
Mired in a losing skid, the Detroit Tigers received some more bad news on Monday, July 28. Detroit, which has lost eight of its 10 games to start the second half of the season, will be without starting pitcher Reese Olson for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder strain, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters on Monday. Olson has been a dependable and effective pitcher for the Tigers since debuting in 2023, as he effectively ends his 2025 season with a 3.15 ERA in 68 2/3 innings pitched with 65 strikeouts. BASEBALL HALL OF FAME 2025 INDUCTION: Best moments from Ichiro, Sabathia, more in Cooperstown Olson's injury likely played into Detroit's decision to trade for Minnesota Twins back-end starter Chris Paddack, who was acquired by the Tigers alongside fellow right-hander Randy Dobnak for minor-league prospect Enrique Jimenez. What does Olson's injury mean for the pitcher-needy Tigers? Here's what to know of where Detroit goes from here: Reese Olson injury: What it means for Detroit Tigers The Tigers, who are in first place in the AL Central standings despite their recent skid, were in need of starting pitching even before Olson's injury. The 25-year-old right-hander going down puts Detroit in a precarious position with the trade deadline looming. The Tigers used a bullpen-heavy approach in 2024 that led to their Cinderella run to the ALCS, but they'd likely prefer a traditional setup that starts with starting pitchers taking the bulk of the workload. Detroit's addition of Paddack gives the Tigers another usable arm, but likely not one it'd prefer to use in a playoff series. Paddack has a 4.95 ERA this season and hasn't finished with above 1.0 wins-above replacement in a season since his rookie year in 2016 with the San Diego Padres. The Tigers already are without Jackson Jobe, who's also out for the season, and Alex Cobb, although the veteran is hoping to return from a hip ailment before the regular season is over. Veteran right-hander Jose Urquidy, who's also on the 60-day injured list alongside Cobb, is another pitching option for Detroit. Detroit's top three starting pitchers of ace Tarik Skubal, along with Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize have been reliable, but the Tigers are almost assuredly in the market for an impact starter before the trade deadline comes at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Tigers acquire Paddack from division rival Twins to plug rotation hole from Olson's injury
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers acquired starting pitcher Chris Paddack from the division rival Minnesota Twins in a three-player trade on Monday to plug another injury-created vacancy in their rotation. The Tigers announced right-hander Reese Olson will miss the remainder of the regular season with a strained shoulder suffered during his most recent bullpen session, joining right-hander Jackson Jobe on the shelf.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reese Olson, Tigers' No. 2 starter, ruled out for regular season with shoulder strain
Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with a right shoulder strain that he experienced during his latest bullpen session. The Tigers are leaving the door open for Olson to return in the postseason. "We have some more tests scheduled for tomorrow before we can fully announce everything that happened," Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday, July 28, "but the MRI revealed enough to rule him out for the regular season." LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Tigers trade for Chris Paddack, Randy Dobnak from Twins Olson, 25, had a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68⅔ innings in 13 starts in the 2025 season. When healthy, Olson worked the Tigers' No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal. He previously missed nearly three months in 2024 with a right shoulder strain. He also missed two months in 2025 with right ring finger inflammation. On Monday, the Tigers traded for starting pitcher Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins, who will now help fill one of the vacant spots in the Tigers' rotation. This story will be updated. Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reese Olson injury update: Tigers starter ruled out for regular season
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
AL-leading Blue Jays take round one vs. Tigers by knockout: ‘We're gritty as hell'
By Baseball Columnist Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast 'Deep Left Field.' Follow him on Bluesky: @wilnerness DETROIT— The Blue Jays welcomed back an old pal on Thursday night. Having been stymied by Tigers starter Reese Olson on just three singles through five innings, the Jays went into the sixth down 1-0, but quickly tied the game when Vladimir Guerrero's double to left scored George Springer from first. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
