Gleyber Torres tried to avoid the injured list.
The 29-year-old second baseman made progress in recent days, but he still feels pain while swinging.
His continued inability to play in games, even as a pinch-hitter in late-game situations, led the Detroit Tigers to place him on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, May 6, with a left oblique strain. The placement is retroactive to Monday, which means Torres can return to the Tigers as early as May 14.
“It’s a mild left oblique strain that continues to nag him,” manager A.J. Hinch said before Wednesday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. “Obviously, Gleyber has been getting treatment and getting looked at by doctors – and it continues to be stagnant. Hopefully, this will resolve itself within a short time period, but nowadays, I don’t know.”
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To replace Torres, the Tigers recalled infielder Jace Jung from Triple-A Toledo.
Only three days ago, the Tigers optioned Jung in favor of shortstop Zack Short, but since then, Short has been designated for assignment (for the return of utility player Zach McKinstry from the injured list) and Jung has been recalled (to fill the void left by Torres landing on the injured list).
The Torres injury occurred in the first inning of Saturday’s 5-1 win against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park, when he was thrown out at home plate trying to score from second base. He stayed in the game, then exited before the fourth inning.
“Nothing really happened to take a step back, like no event or anything,” Hinch said. “He’s been doing some work. He’s been throwing. He’s run a little bit. He’s been swinging a little bit, albeit not at full speed.”
The Tigers now have 14 players on the injured list.
The list of injured players includes five previous All-Stars: Torres (oblique strain), left-hander Tarik Skubal (elbow surgery), right-hander Justin Verlander (hip inflammation), right-hander Casey Mize (adductor strain) and shortstop Javier Báez (ankle sprain).
“The level should keep you motivated and ready to go,” Hinch said. “It tests you every day, but it also provides opportunity for somebody. We still feel like we can win tonight’s game. The motivation is not a problem for these guys.”
In 2026, Torres is hitting .259 with two home runs, 25 walks and 22 strikeouts across 32 games, posting a .716 OPS. He has registered plus-five defensive runs saved in 217⅔ innings as the everyday second baseman.
“I was getting better and better, but I still feel it a little bit in that area,” Torres said. “At this point, we don’t want to push it. It’s not a really big strain, so hopefully, I can get back [on a rehab assignment] in five days – not two weeks. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the next couple of days.”
In Torres’ absence, the Tigers will turn to both McKinstry and Hao-Yu Lee at second base, while Jung – a left-handed hitter – primarily gets his opportunities as the designated hitter against right-handed pitchers.
Jung continues to search for his first MLB home run.
He has played 57 games in the big leagues, spanning 34 games in 2024, 21 games in 2025 and two games in 2026. He is a .192 hitter with a .553 OPS in 155 plate appearances.
“We’re not going any further than day-by-day,” Hinch said of the decision to recall Jung. “We’re bringing him up because we’re facing [Red Sox right-hander] Sonny [Gray].”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gleyber Torres lands on Detroit Tigers injured list; Jace Jung returns
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
