The Detroit Tigers have dealt with a few injuries to their pitching staff this season, and ahead of their double-header against the Washington Nationals, they were dealt another blow.
According to the Tigers' PR account on social media, the Tigers are placing starting pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain. In a corresponding move, Tyler Owens is back on the MLB roster.
OF Kerry Carpenter has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 30) with a right hamstring strain. INF Trey Sweeney has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) July 2, 2025
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 29) with neck…
It's a tough blow for the Tigers, as they were already down Reese Olson, Alex Cobb, and Jackson Jobe among starters on the injured list. Gipson-Long is the sixth starter on the injured list, and his injury is a concerning one.
Neck injuries are always worrisome, and for the 27-year-old rookie, it's a concerning outlook for the rest of the year. He's set to miss some time and likely will be out past the All-Star break and close to the MLB trade deadline.
In five appearances and two starts, Gipson-Long had a 4.70 ERA and a 0-1 record. He struck out 18 batters and walked four across 23 innings pitched. He also had a solid 1.09 WHIP.
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But he allowed a lot of hits. Batters hit .247 off him, with seven of his 21 hits allowed being doubles, and four being home runs. His .471 slugging percentage allowed was a huge reason for his struggles in his appearances with the club this season.
While the Tigers are already one of the teams looking to add a starter, this injury further exacerbates the issue. Detroit is running out of pitching depth, and sitting atop the American League, a trade should be on the horizon to stay above the surging Houston Astros.
Detroit already needed to add a new starter, and now, the need is even greater. While Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are a great 1-2 punch, the rest of the rotation is a question mark, or injured.
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