​For a short stretch, one of Detroit’s starting pitchers will be away from the club. The Tigers announced on Sunday, July 12, that left-hander Framber Valdez has been placed on the bereavement list ahead of the series finale with the Philadelphia Phillies. This game on Sunday marks the final contest before the 2026 All-Star break, after which Detroit will enjoy four days off before resuming the second half of the season with a three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Angels.
The MLB bereavement list permits clubs to replace a player for a span of three to seven games when a player must miss time due to the death or serious illness of a family member. Detroit did not promote a replacement for Sunday’s game, choosing instead to consider a roster move after the All-Star break.
Coming out of the break, the Tigers’ rotation is slated to be right-hander Troy Melton on Friday, left-hander Tarik Skubal on Saturday, and right-hander Casey Mize on Sunday. Valdez and right-hander Jack Flaherty will join the second rotation during the road trip against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Manager A.J. Hinch emphasized preserving normal rest patterns for the pitchers as much as possible during the break. Melton threw a bullpen session Sunday after taking the prior two days off to realign his routine with the break. Skubal will enjoy five days of rest between starts, while Mize will have six. Melton, a native of Orange County, will be able to train at his home facility during the series. “Rather than inconveniencing the entire rotation, we just chose the first three guys to line them up as close to their plus-one rest or plus-two rest as we could,” Hinch explained.
In other roster notes, right-handed reliever Vest has been out since July 1 with what was initially diagnosed as elbow inflammation. On Friday, Hinch revealed Vest was dealing with a stress fracture in his right elbow.
Sunday’s update from Vest indicated that the pain in his elbow had persisted for some time and ultimately affected his performance, contributing to his subpar results. Vest has posted a 6.08 ERA over 26⅔ innings this season. He stated, “It just got to a point where I just didn’t feel good, and obviously the results weren’t great and kind of hurt the team. I’m glad we figured out what it was.” At this time, Vest is not planning on undergoing surgery. The recovery plan focuses on maximizing rest and allowing the injury to heal before beginning rehab. Vest noted that doctors explained bone injuries in pitching elbows are more common in younger players, which helped explain the duration of the diagnostic process. “I guess I’m a kid still growing into my body,” Vest, 31, said, adding that this growth factor likely contributed to the difficulty in pinpointing the issue.