Detroit — The game wasn’t in doubt. The Tigers were walloping Houston on Monday night, and as the ninth inning began, most fans simply wanted to begin heading home on a beautiful summer night.
But there was one more special moment at Comerica Park. Relief pitcher Alex Lange came out of the Tigers’ bullpen, heading to the mound, capping a long, tedious, difficult return from an avulsion in his right lat that required season-ending surgery 15 months ago.
The Tigers’ closer of two years ago was back in familiar territory. And Lange, who has always relied on adrenaline coming out of the bullpen, was basking in a different kind of emotion.
“I was fighting tears, man,” said Lange, who pitched in a major league game for the first time since May 22, 2024. Lange was optioned to Toledo shortly after and suffered his arm injury in June 2024.
“I was just so anxious to get in there and get it going, go out there and have some fun,” Lange said. “Whatever the results were going to be was fine, and I’d accepted that. But I put in a lot of work to be back here, and I was just really excited to put it on display and just go out there and have fun and play the game that we love.”
Lange was recalled earlier Monday from Toledo, reinstating Lange from the 60-day injured list. The Tigers optioned pitcher Bailey Horn in the corresponding move.
Now, it wasn’t altogether perfect for Lange against the Astros. Lange didn’t give up a run, but he did allow two singles and a walk, and allowed Houston to load the bases before getting the final two outs.
The look of relief, satisfaction, joy and thankfulness on Lange’s face on the mound was clear.
“You’re excited,” Lange said. “I mean, I’ve sat on my butt for 400 days waiting for that phone call, you know what I mean? I was on edge more than anybody down there (bullpen). They were looking at me funny. But I just wanted the ball, man, and I wanted to get it out of the way. Hear the crowd again, (feel) the dirt again, just be in that moment.
“It wasn’t as clean (as Lange would like) but I was excited to put up the zero.”
Lange has pitched in 17 games between West Michigan (High Class A) and Toledo (AAA) the last two months. In 15 games with Toledo Lange had a 4.23 ERA — but five of his seven runs allowed came in one game. He was trending upward, and the control was there (no walks, eight strikeouts in his last 6 2/3 innings).
Manager AJ Hinch was going to search for a good time to use Lange, and get that thrill and emotion of pitching again in the big leagues out of the way. The ninth inning Monday, with the Tigers winning big on a beautiful summer night, and a festive crowd roaring, well, it worked out perfectly.
“It’s been a long time coming for him,” Hinch said. “You can pitch as many games in the minor leagues as you want but there’s nothing more meaningful than coming back from injury and running in there, especially at home, with a great crowd in a great game.”
After the final out, a fly to right field, Lange shared a hug near the mound with catcher Dillon Dingler. The two were teammates briefly in Toledo last year, at previous minor league stops, and have a bond.
The moment wasn’t lost on either player.
“He was like, ‘I really missed you, man. This is pretty special for me,'” Lange said. “It’s great to watch the leader he’s grown into over the last two years.”
Dingler was in Toledo last year when Lange was hurt. To watch Lange’s dedication and perseverance and see Lange on the mound again felt good for the Tigers’ catcher.
“To see it come around full-circle for his first outing back here, it’s special,” Dingler said. “I was super happy for him. I know everybody else in the clubhouse was really happy for him.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
Tigers vs. Astros
▶ First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Wednesday, Comerica Park, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: FanDuel Sports/97.1 FM
Scouting report
▶ LHP Framber Valdez (11-6, 3.01), Astros: He’s been a little wobbly this month, for his lofty standards. In three starts, he’s given up 12 earned runs in 18.1 innings with six walks. The challenge, always against him and his dastardly sinker-curveball-slider mix, is to elevate baseballs. His 61% ground ball rate is elite and, cause and effect, so is homer rate (nine in 152.1 innings) and low slugging percentage against (.339).
▶ RHP Charlie Morton (8-10, 5.20), Tigers: He showed the resourcefulness he’s accrued over 18 big-league seasons in his last outing. He didn’t have a feel early for his curveball, his best and most important pitch. But with a little help from catcher Dillon Dingler, he was able to find other avenues to collect outs until he got the curveball back in the zone. When he got the handshake after six innings, he’d worked around three walks and a hit-batsman to log six scoreless, two-hit innings and record his first win as a Tiger.
— Chris McCosky
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