DETROIT -- Jack Flaherty tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts on Tuesday night in a rehab start for Double-A Erie.
Flaherty, who’s been sidelined since June 13 with a left peroneal strain, gave up solo homers to Mets Minor League slugger Nick Lorusso and Jose Ramos in the sixth, both off fastballs. His only other hit allowed was a double from Matt Rudick off the right-field wall leading off the fifth. An Izaac Pacheco error at third base accounted for the only other baserunner until an eight-pitch walk to JT Schwartz ended Flaherty’s outing.
Flaherty threw 83 pitches, 58 strikes. Eleven of those strikes were swinging, including two of his strikeouts on a slider and a curveball. Flaherty pounded the strike zone with fastballs with generally solid command of the corners until his final inning, and his curveball was sharp against Double-A Binghamton hitters.
Flaherty will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on Sunday. If everything goes well, Flaherty would be on turn to potentially start that afternoon for the Tigers’ series and homestand finale against the Astros at Comerica Park. That’s not guaranteed, and it could depend on how the Tigers and Flaherty evaluate his performance.
“Getting into Sunday or Monday of next week, I think that would be about minimum,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “But, we’ll obviously wait to see how it goes.”
It’s a rare rehab assignment for the Tigers in Erie, Pa., as the distance from Detroit compared with Triple-A Toledo and High-A West Michigan -- along with a lack of direct flights -- makes for a longer trip. With the Mud Hens and Whitecaps both on the road, however, the assignment makes sense. It’s believed to be the Tigers’ first rehab assignment in Erie since left-hander Daniel Norris in 2016.