The Detroit Tigers send a medical update every Tuesday and Friday.
This time, the Tigers had positive news to report about right-hander Reese Olson and outfielder/third baseman Matt Vierling on Friday, June 13, before the opening of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Comerica Park.
Both players have started rehab assignments with Triple-A Toledo, a positive sign, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday’s game.
Olson, 25, is recovering from right ring finger inflammation; Vierling, 28, is recovering from right shoulder inflammation. For Vierling, he will start as the designated hitter Friday for the Mud Hens while continuing his throwing progression, whereas Olson will make his first start Saturday, June 14, for the Mud Hens.
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“That’s a step in the right direction for both guys,” Hinch said.
Vierling must be activated by July 2; Olson must be activated by July 14.
Both should return to the Tigers before those dates.
“Matty feels as good as he’s felt throwing the ball, which is good,” Hinch said, adding Vierling is expected to playing defense early next week. “Reese, we’ve got to start to rebuild his capacity, like his ability to get some endurance back.”
Olson hasn’t pitched for the Tigers since May 17, missing nearly one month. Vierling suffered a right shoulder injury in late February during spring training, spent three months rehabbing and returned for four games before re-aggravating his shoulder May 26, leading to another stint on the injured list.
Both players received injections for inflammation.
In 2025, Olson has a 2.96 ERA with 19 walks and 51 strikeouts across 48⅔ innings in nine games. Meanwhile, Vierling is looking to continue his success after a career-best performance in 2024, hitting .257 with 16 home runs and a .735 OPS in 144 games, playing third base and all three outfield positions.
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Alex Cobb injures left hip (while rehabbing right hip)
Right-hander Alex Cobb — whom the Tigers signed to a one-year, $15 million contract — has received numerous injections over the past five months in an effort to recover from a right hip injury. The 37-year-old is now being treated for a left hip injury, receiving an injection Friday to address inflammation.
“This is the other hip,” Hinch said. “It’s just sort of been a muscular issue for him.”
Cobb hasn’t pitched for the Tigers in 2025.
He completed three starts on his right hip rehab assignment, including his latest start with Triple-A Toledo, but the Tigers will pause his rehab assignment as a result of Friday’s injection in his left hip.
Cobb is expected to resume his rehab assignment.
“He did start to feel a little bit of an issue with that other hip, and we needed to address it,” Hinch said. “I’ll have an update for when his next outing is going to be, but generally speaking, it takes a couple days for the medicine to kick in, and he can continue on.”
Parker Meadows: Scheduled off day
Center fielder Parker Meadows has played 10 games in the 2025 season.
The 25-year-old returned June 2 from a right arm nerve injury, which occurred in late February during spring training. To ease his return, the Tigers implemented scheduled off days for Meadows — including Friday’s game.
“He’s still in spring training mode, a little bit,” Hinch said. “He played three days in a row. If you think about where he’s at in his season, it’s still early April. These scheduled off days are planned.”
Meadows — who hit a three-run home run Thursday, June 12, in a 4-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles — is expected to play on a full-time basis beginning Tuesday, June 17, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. He is hitting .171 with one homer, five walks added 10 strikeouts in 10 games, posting a .618 OPS.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers injury updates: Reese Olson, Matt Vierling, Alex Cobb