The Tigers are 18-17 and have been duct-taping their infield together for two weeks now. Javier Baez is on the IL with an ankle sprain, Zach McKinstry is rehabbing his hip, and Gleyber Torres is day-to-day with a side issue after being scratched against Texas. A.J. Hinch keeps writing lineups and Detroit keeps splitting series — that's basically the whole story of the first five weeks.
- Day-To-DayRanger Suarez SP — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Friday that Suarez's (hamstring) next start will come next week "sometime in the Philly series," Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
- Day-To-DayHobie Harris RP — Harris was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
- 10-Day-ILRoman Anthony LF — The Red Sox placed Anthony (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Tuesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
- 15-Day-ILJustin Slaten RP — Slaten (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning for Double-A Portland on Sunday.
- 15-Day-ILDanny Coulombe RP — The Red Sox placed Coulombe on the 15-day injured list Monday with cervical spasms.
- 15-Day-ILGarrett Crochet SP — Crochet (shoulder) was able to play catch Sunday for the first time since landing on the injured list Wednesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
- 15-Day-ILKutter Crawford SP — Crawford has been diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow following an MRI, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
- 60-Day-ILTriston Casas 1B — The Red Sox transferred Casas (abdomen/knee) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayTroy Watson SP — Watson is scheduled to begin a throwing program Monday as he works his way back from arthroscopic right elbow surgery, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayDugan Darnell RP — The Tigers announced Sunday that Darnell (hip) has been playing catch five times a week and is also taking part in a running progression, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 10-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — The Tigers placed Baez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.
- 15-Day-ILJustin Verlander SP — Verlander (hip) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILWill Vest RP — Vest (forearm) received a cortisone injection Friday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILCasey Mize SP — The Tigers placed Mize on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a right adductor strain.
- 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold RP — Detroit moved Seabold to the 15-day IL on Sunday due to left ankle inflammation, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal SP — Skubal could return in as little as 4-to-6 weeks following surgery Wednesday to remove a loose body from his left elbow, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
On the mound it's the matchup of the night across MLB: Tarik Skubal vs. Payton Tolle. Skubal is sitting at a 2.70 ERA with a 45/6 strikeout-to-walk ratio through seven starts, and yes, he had the now-infamous dugout blowup last time out — but the underlying numbers are still Cy Young-caliber. The reigning two-time AL Cy Young is not someone you want to see when your offense is searching for traction.
Tolle is the reason Boston fans are watching this one even with the Sox sliding. The big lefty rookie struck out 11 Yankees over six innings in his season debut at Fenway on April 24, including the first five hitters he faced. He got slapped with a tough-luck loss but he's clearly the most interesting arm in the Boston rotation right now, slotted in for the injured Sonny Gray.
Detroit's bullpen picture is the part that should worry Hinch on a night his ace might only go six or seven. Will Vest is on the 15-day IL, Kenley Jansen just blew a save and took the loss against Atlanta, and Casey Mize joining the rotation IL hasn't helped anyone's workload. If this turns into a one-run game in the eighth, the Tigers are leaning on guys they didn't plan to lean on.
The vibe: Skubal should give the Tigers a chance, the offense has to manufacture against a rookie who's pitching with his hair on fire, and whoever blinks late probably loses. Pitching matchup like this, you don't need much else.