Jack Flaherty on way back to Tigers with rehab start set for Toledo

CLEVELAND – Jack Flaherty is on his way back to the Detroit Tigers.

The 30-year-old right-hander will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Sept. 6.

"Short stint," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on Saturday before the Tigers played the Cleveland Guardians. "Basically, like another live BP, but we're going to have it in competition. So he may only go one inning. He may get two ups. We're not sure."

Flaherty is rehabbing from right flexor tendon inflammation, and has been throwing live bullpens in recent weeks while traveling with the Tigers, with fastball velocity around 93 mph, according to Hinch.

“The reality is setting in that it's going to be really hard to build him all the way back up into that five, six, or seven-inning pitcher," Hinch said Wednesday in Minneapolis. "But that doesn't mean that we won't be more creative with him if the recovery continues.”

He last pitched for the Tigers on July 20 against the Chicago Cubs. He was placed on the injured list the next day.

Flaherty is 3-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 19 starts in 2026 over 86⅓ innings. He will be a free agent after the season.

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There is currently only one healthy pitcher from the Tigers' opening rotation on the active roster: Framber Valdez. Justin Verlander has not pitched since March 30 due to injuries, and Tarik Skubal and Cazey Mize were both traded by the Aug. 3 deadline.