The Detroit Tigers can activate right-hander Reese Olson on Friday, July 4 and will likely send him to the mound that night to open their three-game series at Cleveland.
Hinch is looking forward to his return.
“First off, he’s really good,” Hinch said of Olson. “He’s one of the more underrated guys that we’ve lost. He doesn’t get a lot of attention, but we love when he pitches. … We have a tough series ahead. … Having Reese back on prior to that four-day (All-Star) break is probably good for him and good for us.”
Olson was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 19, retroactive to May 18, with right ring finger inflammation. He was able to throw most of his pitches, but the finger inflammation interfered with his ability to control his changeup, considered his best pitch. Olson had a 2.96 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 19 walks in 48⅔ innings this season when he went on the IL. This season, opposing batters are hitting .111 on Olson’s changeup, eighth-lowest in the majors on the pitch.
Left-handed reliever Bailey Horn, meanwhile, will stick around a little longer. He was called up as the 27th man for the Tigers’ split doubleheader on Wednesday, July 2, though he did not play. He was officially recalled on the 26-man roster Thursday, with right-hander Tyler Owens (who pitched in Wednesday’s Game 2) sent down instead. Hinch likes the way the lefty has controlled the strike zone with Triple-A Toledo, and he likes the insurance he’ll give the Tigers’ bullpen as platoon-heavy Cleveland and left-handed heavy Tampa Bay await.
“He’s earned (the chance),” Hinch said.
Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers looking forward to Reese Olson return vs Guardians