Drew

Anderson

Finnegan came on to protect a two-run advantage in the ninth and got into trouble as he allowed two consecutive one-out singles that put runners on the corners. The White Sox then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score the tying run. Finnegan escaped further damage, but the Tigers went on to lose in the 10th as Drew Anderson blew another one-run lead. The Tigers’ bullpen is in complete shambles at the moment.

It’s reportedly the same injury that caused Mize to be placed on the injured list in late April. Mize didn’t think the injury was as severe as it was last time, but Hinch said he didn’t “really have a gut feeling” on how much time Mize would miss. It sounds like an return stint on the IL isn’t out of the question. Drew Anderson could be a short-term solution for the rotation.

Anderson allowed one hit and two walks in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Orioles. He’s mostly been used in multi-inning appearances out of the bullpen, but he drew the start earlier this week against the Guardians and struck out seven. Kenley Jansen struggled in Game 1, but Anderson’s role doesn’t match that of a closer-in-waiting. He’ll likely grab some saves here and there as long as he’s pitching in relief.

Anderson went exactly two times through Cleveland’s lineup, throwing 38 of 63 pitches for strikes, and allowing just four baserunners. He generated an impressive 10 swinging strikes and finished with a strong 33 percent CSW. He consistently challenged the Guardians with high fastballs in two-strike counts, resulting in five of his seven punchouts. Not bad for a journeyman pitcher making his first start in the big leagues since August 7, 2021. It seems highly unlikely he’ll get another turn in Detroit’s rotation, especially with Troy Melton (elbow) seemingly ready to return from the injured list, but he took advantage of his opportunity in this one.

Anderson has not made an MLB start since August of 2021, when he was with the Rangers. He did look good in four innings out of the bullpen on Friday, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out one. He was also tremendous as a starter in Korea last year, posting a 2.25 ERA in 171 2/3 innings. This could be a bit of an audition for him since the Tigers do have one rotation spot up for grabs. However, Troy Melton could also come off the injured list next week and take this spot in the rotation.

Anderson allowed just one hit on the night while recording one strikeout. He came on with the Tigers trailing by a run in the fifth inning and he kept the Jays’ offense at bay until the ninth when the Tigers ultimately scored to win the game. For the season, the 32-year-old right-hander holds a 4.67 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 31/12 K/BB ratio over 27 innings.

Anderson came on with two on in a four-run game in the sixth, so this is the rare three-inning save that actually began as a save situation. Anderson struck out two and walked two. Only one of the eight balls in play against him was hit hard. He came into the day with a 7.11 ERA, having allowed at least one run in all four of his appearances.

Anderson struck out four and gave up no hard-hit balls to the nine batters he faced. He’s pitched 11 scoreless frames with a 14/2 K/BB in four appearances this spring. It’s not going to get him a rotation spot unless something gets hurt, but he will make the Tigers as a middle reliever and he’s an AL-only sleeper.

Anderson sat just under 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and registered a 23 percent whiff rate on the pitch, which was nice to see. He also produced three whiffs on seven swings with his changeup but allowed three hard-hit balls in three innings of work. He figures to start the season in the bullpen since the Tigers’ rotation is full and he has no minor league options remaining.

Anderson, who spent the last four years in Asia, seemed like a strong candidate to be the Tigers’ fifth starter when he was signed for $7 million in December. Now, though, he’s due to open up in middle relief unless a starter goes down, and even then, the Tigers could pick Troy Melton over him as a rotation replacement. Anderson resembled a legitimate rotation candidate today while topping out at 96.7 mph with his fastball. His 95.3 mph average was up 2.8 mph from when he was last seen in the U.S. with the Rangers in 2021.