The Tigers placed Will Vest on the 15-day injured list today, ahead of their afternoon game against the Yankees. In a corresponding move, the team recalled Beau Brieske from Triple-A Toledo to take Vest’s spot in the bullpen.
Manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, that the right-hander felt discomfort in his elbow following his latest appearance against the Astros on June 27. According to the MLB.com transaction log, the injury has been listed as posterior elbow inflammation in his pitching arm. Thankfully for Vest and the Tigers, the team does not believe the problem to be ligament-related. However, Detroit has not yet offered a timeline for his return. Presumably, the pitcher will go for more tests in the coming days. “When he’s not able to locate pitches, and he’s not feeling great after outings, we have to get that checked out and see what we’re dealing with,” Hinch explained.
Vest, 31, missed time earlier this season with right lateral forearm inflammation. This new issue is on the back of his elbow, and it’s not clear if the Tigers suspect the two injuries to be connected. There didn’t seem to be any structural issues with the last injury either, and Vest was back with Detroit after less than three weeks on the shelf.
The veteran owns a bloated 6.08 ERA this season. Yet, the underlying numbers say he’s much the same pitcher that he’s always been. From 2023-25, Vest pitched to a 2.93 ERA and a 3.21 SIERA in 181 games for the Tigers. Although he’s already given up 22 runs this season (18 earned), his 3.21 SIERA is identical to his mark from the previous three years. That’s because his strikeout and walk rates are solid, and his 61.8% groundball rate is the third-highest in the American League (min. 20 IP). Even better, his 35.1% hard-hit rate, per Baseball Savant, is the lowest of his career. Although Vest is no longer Detroit’s closer, Hinch has continued to use him in high-leverage spots. Whether the Tigers are planning to put up a fight down the stretch or sell at the deadline, the righty is a valuable piece they’d surely like to have back.
Brieske, 28, has struggled with numerous injuries over the last two years. From 2023-24, he pitched 102 2/3 innings for Detroit with a 3.59 ERA and 4.08 SIERA. Since then, he has only thrown 26 1/3 innings in the majors, giving up 26 runs (22 earned). He will look to take this new opportunity with the Tigers to get back on track.
