DETROIT – Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty, sidelined since June 13 with a left peroneal strain, will begin a rehab assignment for Double-A Erie on Tuesday.
The timing is notable, since Flaherty will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on Sunday. If everything goes well in his rehab start Tuesday, Flaherty would be on turn to potentially start on Sunday for the Tigers’ series and homestand finale against the Astros at Comerica Park. That’s not guaranteed, and it could depend on 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., whose 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.
“He was going to have to travel somewhere,” Hinch said. “We didn’t have Toledo home, and as much as we love West Michigan, it’s not the ideal level for a [rehabbing] pitcher. So Erie became not only the closest, but the only home game.”