A right hamstring strain has kept Riley Greene off the field since August 11, but the Tigers outfielder will begin a minor league rehab assignment today. According to MLB.com’s Jason Beck, Greene will be the DH for Triple-A Toledo in today’s game and then play left field on Sunday, assuming everything goes smoothly in his first rehab outing.
Since the Mud Hens don’t play on Monday, that could be the date for Greene’s return to Detroit’s lineup. The Tigers begin a series with the Twins on that day, and having the three-time All-Star back would be a huge boost to the Tigers as they try to chase down one of the many teams ahead of them in the AL wild card race.
Detroit was 59-60 and 2.5 games out of first place in the AL Central after August 11, but the Tigers have since gone only 3-12 since Greene went on the IL. The collapse underscores Greene’s key role within the otherwise inconsistent Detroit offense, as the outfielder is hitting .273/.366/.450 with 16 homers in 492 plate appearances. It isn’t a reach to say that Greene’s absence may have been the last straw for the Tigers’ season, even though losing only around three weeks to a hamstring strain isn’t an bad outcome given how such injuries can tend to linger.
For instance, Justin Verlander has now missed well over two months since a more severe hamstring strain shut down the right-hander’s rehab process in mid-June. Between a 60-day IL stint due to hip inflammation and then this hamstring strain, Verlander’s 2026 season has consisted of just one game, when he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings on March 30.
It isn’t yet clear when Verlander will be back for the last games of what will be his final season, but Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that Verlander has started throwing off sloped ground. “The way he described it, it’s almost a bullpen [session]. He’s letting it go a little and he’s getting off the slope, which is important because it changes the angle of everything. It is a step forward from just playing catch,” Hinch explained.
While Verlander may be close to a proper bullpen session, “but right now, we’re just not at the point where we can pencil anything in,” Hinch said. “And even when we can, we’re going to wait some extra time just to make sure there’s not another setback.” As fluid as things still are with Verlander’s status, Hinch said “I sense him building toward something positive and he is going to be able to make at least one appearance” before the Tigers’ season is over.
Somewhat more immediate rotation help could be coming in the form of Jack Flaherty, as Hinch said the right-hander may throw another bullpen this week, and then potentially advance to facing live batters. Flaherty hasn’t pitched since July 20 due to flexor inflammation, and this latest update from Hinch keeps Flaherty on pace for a projected return by the middle of September.
Matt Vierling‘s recovery plan has hit a snag, with Hinch saying that Vierling has been temporarily shut down due to heel soreness. It isn’t yet known when Vierling could resume baseball activities. The utilityman was sent to the 10-day IL on July 30 due to an adductor strain, and McCosky writes that Vierling was trending towards soon starting a rehab assignment before this setback.
