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.
“I feel good,” Flaherty told reporters after the game at UPMC Park. “Body feels good. Good to get back on the mound. Good to get some hitters in the box and get back into some competition.”
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.
“A lot of my spin worked really well,” Flaherty said. “Getting ahead, I think, was a bigger key. Getting ahead with three different pitches, working in some splits and sinkers. Saw a couple times where I got to 0-2 and without really even making competitive pitches got to 3-2. Those are the frustrating ones.”
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.
“I don't talk a whole lot on my start day,” Flaherty said. “Talked to [teammates] a little bit in between innings. They were trying to figure out the most strikeouts by a starting pitcher in a game and none of them knew the answer, so I was kind of disappointed in their ball knowledge. That was disappointing, made me chime in a little bit.
“But it's a good group. You can tell they're close-knit. That goes a long way. That takes me back to my time in the Minor Leagues and when you come up with those guys, how close you get. Reminds me of our team as well.”