The Detroit Tigers just got some bad news right before the break. Left-hander Framber Valdez was placed on the bereavement list Sunday morning following a death in his family. The team made the announcement before the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, which also happens to be the Tigers’ last game before the All-Star break.
Valdez, who has been a key piece in Detroit’s surprising first half, will miss at least a few days. The bereavement list allows for three to seven days away from the team. But with the All-Star break already giving everyone four days off, there’s a chance he could miss more than just one turn in the rotation. The Tigers haven’t said when he’ll return, and honestly they probably don’t know yet. That’s up to him and his family.
How the Rotation Shakes Out
Manager A.J. Hinch already had a plan for how to handle the weird schedule around the break, even before Valdez left. According to comments he made to The Detroit News, Hinch was going to split up Valdez and Tarik Skubal anyway. Now Troy Melton, Skubal and Casey Mize are lined up to start the three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels when play resumes.
“It’s always an awkward break,” Hinch said. “You could go with the same rotation and the guy who hasn’t pitch can pitch. Or you can reset things. We were going to split up Tarik and Framber anyway. But we wanted to keep Tarik on a somewhat regular cadence.”
Jack Flaherty is set to take the mound July 20 in Chicago. The Tigers still haven’t named a starter for the July 22 series finale. Hinch mentioned the possibility of bringing Melton back on short rest or giving Keider Montero the ball.
Valdez’s absence isn’t ideal for a team that’s been on a roll. Detroit has won eight of its last 10 games, and Valdez has been a big part of that. He’s got a 3.18 ERA this season with 112 strikeouts over 110 innings. The guy pounds the zone with that sinker and keeps the ball on the ground. Losing him for any amount of time stings, especially when you’re trying to stay in the wild-card hunt.
The Tigers don’t play again until July 17 in Anaheim. That’s four full days off for everybody, including Valdez if he needs them. But the team hasn’t said whether he’ll join the team in California or meet them later. The bereavement list is one of those things where you just have to wait and see how the person handles it. Baseball will be there when he’s ready.
In the meantime, guys like Melton and Mize get a chance to prove they belong. Melton has been solid in limited action this year, and Mize has shown flashes since coming back from the injury that cost him almost two full seasons. Neither is Framber Valdez, but they don’t have to be. They just have to keep the Tigers from losing ground while he’s away.
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