Overview

• Detroit’s AL Central lead shrunk to six games following series losses to the Phillies and Twins, and manager A.J. Hinch says the club must focus on playing better baseball.
• Since June 1, the Tigers’ bullpen has posted a 5.03 ERA—27th in MLB—with trade-deadline additions making little impact.
• Rafael Montero allowed two earned runs and displayed control issues in his Tigers debut, raising questions about optioning Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A.
• Paul Sewald won’t be eligible to return until at least September 10, leaving Kyle Finnegan and rookie Troy Melton as the top late-inning options.
• The offense leads MLB in strikeout rate (25.9%) and records the lowest walk rate (4.7%) since the All-Star break, compounding Detroit’s challenges.