Tigers sticking with SP Jack Flaherty despite command issues originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Even before ace Tarik Skubal sustained his third major left elbow injury, Detroit Tigers officials announced their backing of Jack Flaherty.
The struggling starter may have lost control of his command, but not his spot in the decimated MLB rotation, despite allowing three or more walks in six of his seven starts.
Despite failing to pitch past the fifth inning five times.
Despite pitching four or fewer innings four times.
Despite compiling a 5.90 earned-run average, Flaherty was scheduled to start against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park on Wednesday night, aiming to avoid a three-game sweep.
Tigers staying with struggling SP Jack Flaherty vs. Red Sox
A problem throughout his 10-year major league career, Flaherty’s recent troubles continue to stem from his inability to throw strikes consistently.
Over his previous three starts, Flaherty (0-2) worked a combined nine innings, yielding 10 earned runs on 13 hits and 11 bases on balls. During last Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers, Flaherty allowed a third-inning, lead-off home run by light-hitting catcher Danny Jansen, before losing control.
Falling into a strike-throwing funk, similar to past issues, he walked the next three batters, loading the bases for Josh Jung, who collected a run-scoring single. Next batter Joc Pederson delivered a sacrifice fly, lifting the Red Sox to a 4-0 advantage.
Expected to fill the No. 3 rotational role, Flahery is signed for $20 million this season.
“He’s trying to find solutions,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, as reported by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “After the homer, he lost the zone.
“We needed to squeeze a few more innings out of Jack.”
The Tigers (18-19) need to squeeze quality innings out of Flaherty to even a six-game homestand.
With Skubal, the back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner, highlighting a list of six potential starting candidates residing on the Injured List, the Tigers need Flaherty to regain control of his command.