Tigers Facing Framber Valdez Decision Ahead of Rangers Series
The Detroit Tigers are facing a rotation decision centered on Framber Valdez ahead of their upcoming series against the Texas Rangers. Manager AJ Hinch is weighing whether to implement a six-man rotation or move a starter to the bullpen, according to MLive.com's Evan Woodbery.
The decision is being driven by a wave of returning starters. Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Troy Melton have all come off the injured list in recent weeks, joining Valdez and Keider Montero in the rotation.
Jack Flaherty, currently on the 15-day injured list with a foot and ankle tendon injury, is also expected back before the end of the month, and Justin Verlander is working through a rehab assignment for a left hip injury.
Tigers will have a decision to make for Thursday's opener at Texas: Either LHP Framber Valdez on normal rest or RHP Keider Montero, which would signal a six-man rotation.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) June 27, 2026
"We're considering all of our options," Hinch said.
Hinch has floated a six-man rotation as the cleanest solution, telling reporters it makes the most sense and would give everyone extra rest between starts without forcing a demotion or disrupting the current rhythm of the staff.
Valdez was signed to a three-year, $115 million contract February 4 as the centerpiece of a dual left-handed frontline pairing alongside Skubal. His arrival set a record for the highest average annual value ever given to a Latin American pitcher at $38.3 million per year.
The signing came the same week Detroit went to an arbitration hearing with Skubal, underlining the organization's ambition to build one of the better rotations in the American League.
After a turbulent start to his Tigers career, Valdez has stabilized. He carries a 4.40 ERA across 16 starts, but that number is heavily skewed by two early meltdowns in which he allowed 15 earned runs over eight combined innings, including a 10-run outing against the Boston Red Sox on May 5 that also triggered a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting Trevor Story.
In his other 14 starts, he owns a 2.97 ERA. He tossed six scoreless innings against Houston June 16 before striking out eight over six frames to beat Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees June 22, his most complete performance as a Tiger.
The Tigers enter Saturday sitting 34-44 and five games out of an AL Wild Card spot, having posted the best record in the American League during June after going 6-22 in May.
How Hinch structures the rotation heading into the second half will go a long way toward determining whether Detroit operates as a buyer or seller at the trade deadline, and Valdez, the franchise's biggest offseason investment, is at the center of that decision.
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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 2:28 PM.