Kyle Finnegan Injury Update
Kyle Finnegan is officially back with the Detroit Tigers, and honestly, it feels like a breath of fresh air for a bullpen that’s been holding its breath all September. Nicholas Kohloff (@NickKohloff) shared on Twitter that Detroit Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan is back from injury after the team struggled with a 5-10 record in his absence this September.
After missing several weeks with a right groin strain, a frustrating ordeal for any hard-throwing reliever, Finnegan capped off his rehab with a brief outing for Triple-A Toledo, where he punched out a batter, walked another, and generally looked like a guy just itching to be let loose.
Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) reported on Twitter that Kyle Finnegan abruptly stopped warming up in the bullpen due to “right groin tightness.”
His return came Friday, just in time for Detroit’s series against the powerhouse Braves, and even if the Tigers’ playoff math is making fans sweat, there’s no denying that getting Finnegan back could be the shot of adrenaline this team needs down the stretch.
That splitter was humming even if he only threw it a couple times, and the fastball flashed at 97 mph, which makes you think he’s still got a good bit of zip despite the break. Since joining Detroit after the trade deadline, Finnegan’s numbers have been a marvel: 14.1 shutout innings, a crazy 19:3 K: BB ratio, and an ERA so squeaky clean it might make a veteran Tigers fan tear up.
The stress of watching closers melt down every other week? This guy’s been the antidote for four saves since his arrival, and not a single run allowed for his new club. It’s wild remembering that, before his Tigers debut, he was posting middling stats for the Nationals, a 4.38 ERA and some control issues, only to show up in Detroit and look like a world-beater.
Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes, right? If you’re scouting save opportunities for the last few weeks of the season, Finnegan’s your man, assuming manager A.J. Hinch decides to trust that golden arm in the ninth. And for those wondering if rehabbing a groin injury at 34 might sap some edge, it sure didn’t seem that way during his brief Toledo cameo.
The bullpen and let’s be honest, all the folks biting their nails in Comerica Park are probably just happy to see No. 64 back out there, chewing gum and challenging hitters with the kind of swagger Detroit hasn’t seen in a while. Here’s hoping the Tigers give this comeback story a proper finish, not just for Finnegan, but for all the fans searching for a reason to stay hopeful as summer fades into fall.
