Who should represent Detroit Tigers in MLB All-Star game?
The “Days of Roar” podcast debates which players from the Detroit Tigers should make an appearance in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, set for July 15.
Former Central Michigan left-hander Dietrich Enns is returning to MLB for the first time since 2021, following three seasons in Asia.
The Detroit Tigers are expected to select Enns — a 34-year-old who played in Japan in 2022-23 and Korea in 2024 — from Triple-A Toledo to pitch Thursday, June 26, against the Athletics at Comerica Park, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who were granted anonymity because the roster move is not official.
The Tigers haven’t listed a starter for Thursday’ afternoon’s game, which is the series finale against the A’s. Not only does Enns need to be added to the 26-man roster, but he also needs to be added to the already full 40-man roster.
It’s unclear whom Enns will be replacing.
“We’ll have an update as we get through this series,” manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday, June 24. “Tarik (Skubal) will go today. Jack (Flaherty) will go tomorrow. And the infamous TBD (to be determined) will go Thursday.”
It will be Enns’ first MLB game since Sept. 24, 2021.
He owns a 3.42 ERA in his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins in 2017 and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021, spanning just 26⅓ innings in 11 appearances.
Before his MLB return, Enns posted a 2.89 ERA with 15 walks (5.6% walk rate) and 71 strikeouts (26.7% strikeout rate) across 62⅔ innings in 14 starts for Triple-A Toledo. He throws a four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, curveball and sinker.
His fastball averages 92.4 mph.
His changeup is the best secondary pitch in his mix, generating a 40% whiff rate.
Enns signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers in January 2025.
From 2022-24, Enns pitched for the Seibu Lions in Japan and the LG Twins in Korea. He worked as a starter for all three seasons, registering a 4.19 ERA across a career-high 167⅔ innings in 30 starts for the LG Twins in 2024.
Reese Olson update
Right-hander Reese Olson (right ring finger inflammation) will start Wednesday, June 25, for Triple-A Toledo — the third start of his rehab assignment.
It’s expected to be his final start for the Mud Hens.
The 25-year-old should be ready to return to the Tigers from the injured list as soon as Tuesday, July 1, against the Washington Nationals on the road, as long as he checks all of the boxes in Wednesday’s rehab start.
“Really, it’s about endurance and pitching with freedom,” Hinch said. “This is about building him up similar to how we would at the end of spring training, and also having him demonstrate that he can use all of his pitches.”
Olson — whose finger injury forced him to stop throwing his elite changeup — has completed two rehab starts, throwing 48 pitches (zero changeups) in the first start and 58 pitches (seven changeups) in the second start.
In MLB, Olson throws his changeup 25% of the time.
“Once we name him a starter in the big leagues, they’re going to stack a ton of lefties against him,” Hinch said. “He’s going to need to utilize the changeup, 20-25% of the time. It’s important for the player to have confidence and be built up.”
Olson hasn’t pitched for the Tigers since May 17.
He posted a 2.96 ERA in nine starts before landing on the injured list.
Matt Vierling update
Outfielder/third baseman Matt Vierling (right shoulder inflammation) continues his rehab assignment with Toledo, but he hasn’t played since Saturday, June 21, due to an illness.
The 28-year-old is scheduled to return to the Mud Hens’ lineup for Wednesday’s game.
“Vierling has had a rough couple of days,” Hinch said.
Vierling has played five games during this rehab assignment, hitting .200 with one walk and seven strikeouts in five games. He started the fourth game in right field, but in the other games, he served as the designated hitter.
He has been dealing with a right shoulder injury since the beginning of spring training.
Alex Lange update
Right-handed reliever Alex Lange (right lat surgery) has moved up from High-A West Michigan to Triple-A Toledo as part of his rehab assignment.
The 29-year-old appeared in two games for the Whitecaps, allowing one run on two hits and zero walks with three strikeouts across two innings. He tossed seven of 13 pitches for strikes in his first game, then 15 of 20 pitches for strikes in his second game.
“Part of the plan is to get the first couple of outings in spring training mode,” Hinch said, “and then get him out of rehab mode and into competition against the highest level that he can rehab against, which is in Toledo. … He’ll make his next few outings there and hopefully get sharper and sharper each outing.”
Lange hasn’t pitched in MLB since May 22, 2024.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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