The Detroit Tigers waited as long as they could.
The Tigers eventually decided to place right-handed reliever Will Vest on the 15-day injured list Saturday, May 2, with right lateral forearm inflammation. He hadn’t been available for the Tigers in the past four games.
The injury is affecting the outside of his elbow.
“There were times in the last three or four days that we thought we were going to get a breakthrough and have him available,” manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. “He continues to report the same soreness despite our efforts to get him back on the field.”
Vest will undergo further and more extensive testing.
“The initial tests have all come back with no obvious structural issues, so that’s encouraging,” Hinch said.
To replace Vest, the Tigers purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Ricky Vanasco from Triple-A Toledo. Right-handed reliever Yoniel Curet was designated for assignment to create space on the 40-man roster.
Vanasco has been a strikeout machine for the Mud Hens.
The 27-year-old fired 15 scoreless innings with four walks and 28 strikeouts in 10 games. The 47.5% strikeout rate ranked fourth among 649 pitchers in the minor leagues with at least 15 innings, including second among Triple-A pitchers.
It’s a four-pitch mix: four-seam fastball, splitter, curveball and sinker. His fastball averaged 91.5 mph and generated a 28.1% whiff rate, while his splitter had a 30.3% whiff rate and his curveball produced a 41.1% whiff rate.
Vanasco previously pitched for the Tigers in 2024.
“He’s been tough to hit, and he’s been impossible to score on,” Hinch said. “He’s built some routines that he’s maintained. He’s also using his pitches aggressively. His split has been real. His curveball has been real. His fastball has been dynamic. There’s a lot to like about his first month in Triple-A. He earned this opportunity.”
This story will be updated.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers lose Will Vest to injured list with right forearm inflammation
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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