Reese Olson to miss 2026 Detroit Tigers season with shoulder surgery
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers will be without Reese Olson for the 2026 season.
The 26-year-old right-hander underwent shoulder surgery Feb. 2 and has been placed on the 60-day injured list. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training Wednesday, Feb. 11, for their first workout in Lakeland, Florida.
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Olson won't pitch for the Tigers until 2027.
He tried to rehab from a season-ending shoulder injury throughout the offseason, but setbacks led to surgery.
Olson, who turns 27 in late July, owns a 3.60 ERA in his three-year MLB career, spanning 56 games (53 starts). The Tigers acquired him at the 2021 trade deadline from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed reliever Daniel Norris.
The Tigers learned about the severity of Olson's situation about a week before signing left-hander Framber Valdez on Feb. 4 to a three-year, $115 million contract. Then, a day before the start of spring training, the Tigers and former longtime ace Justin Verlander reunited on a one-year, $13 million contract.
In 2025, Olson registered a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68⅔ innings in 13 starts. He made two stops on the injured list, suffering from right ring finger inflammation in mid-May and a right shoulder strain in late July.
It wasn't the first time he dealt with a shoulder injury.
He also missed nearly three months with a right shoulder strain in 2024.
The shoulder injuries – plus the finger injury – limited him to just 35 starts across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, far short of a potential 65 starts had he avoided the injured list.
Without Olson, the Tigers' rotation in the 2026 season projects to feature Valdez, Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Verlander, with Drew Anderson and Troy Melton in the mix if there's another injury. Skubal and Valdez are two of five left-handers to throw at least 350 innings with a sub-3.50 ERA over the past two seasons.
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The need for another frontline starter became even more pressing with Olson sidelined, so the Tigers signed Valdez – rather than continuing their pursuits of mid-tier starters in free agency, such as Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito and Nick Martinez – and then six days later, added Verlander in a surprise move.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reese Olson injury update: Detroit Tigers starter undergoes surgery