Tigers' Jack Flaherty 'feeling good' after rehab appearance

DETROIT — After throwing a bullpen session late last week, the logical next step for Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty was to start his rehab assignment, getting him one step closer to returning the Tigers' rotation.

That next step took place Sunday evening, as Flaherty threw 1⅓ scoreless innings for Triple-A Toledo, giving up a hit with a walk and two strikeouts at Fifth Third Field.

"I think he came out feeling good and also a little critical of how his mechanics were and how he executed," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Monday, Sept. 7, shortly before the Tigers hosted Minnesota in the first of three games at Comerica Park. "He had a walk in there and he ended up getting second (inning), which his nice.

"But I think the encouraging part is the recovery was good."

Flaherty has been out since July 21 with a flexor tendon strain and his been steadily working his way back.

On Sunday, he threw 19 pitches, allowing a one-out double in the first inning before issuing a two-out walk. He worked his way out of trouble with a strikeout to end the inning then returned for the top of the second, getting a groundout on the first pitch.

That was it, as Flaherty was pulled and now the Tigers plan the next step.

"He will do something in the next five days, or after five days," Hinch said, "kind of on the same cadence where he will throw a (bullpen session) and then we'll decide kind of what's next for him. (It could be) another outing or we can build some volume in a (simulated) game. We have a couple options, but we haven't finalized what the plan is.

"The first step was here today he felt great, and that's good."

Flaherty, who will be a free agent after the season, last pitched on July 20 against the Chicago Cubs. He is 3-8 this season with a 4.59 ERA in 19 starts over 86⅓ innings.

While the focus has shifted away from a realistic push for the playoffs over the final few weeks of the season, the Tigers are taking advantage of the opportunities offered some of their young, promising talent.

In Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Guardians , six rookies were in the starting lineup, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"That's a good step for those guys to get that type of experience and that type of challenge," Hinch said of facing Guardians starter Gavin Williams . "We've asked a lot of these guys to make pretty sizeable jumps when you look at young guys like ( John ) Peck , like ( Brett ) Callahan that are coming up pretty quickly.

"I'm encouraged by the fact guys are holding they're own. They're also seeing the challenge of the every day here. There are no easy days in the big leagues."

▶ First pitch: 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Comerica Park, Detroit

▶ RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.73), Tigers: This will be the second straight start Anderson makes against the Twins and right-hander Dean Kremer . In that start, Anderson left with the lead after going 5⅔ innings, giving up three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out five.

▶ RHP Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.81), Twins: Kremer lasted only four innings in last week's start against the Tigers, allowing four runs and six hits as the Tigers went on to win, 11-6 in 12 innings. It was the second straight rough outing for Kremer, who gave up six runs in a loss to the White Sox on Aug. 28. This will be his fifth career start against Detroit and his third this season, the first coming while with the Baltimore Orioles.