Deadline Acquisition’s Absence Tests Tigers Bullpen

Kyle Finnegan’s Absence Will Test Tigers’ Late-Game Pitching

Finnegan has been quite literally untouchable in his short tenure with the Tigers. He has yet to give up a run in 12 appearances, allowing just three hits so far in a Detroit uniform. The 33-year-old has also already locked down four saves as he began to cement himself as the team’s full-time closer.

Those plans screeched to a halt in Detroit’s 6-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday, though. After briefly warming up in the bullpen during the sixth inning, Finnegan returned to the dugout, unable to enter the game due to a sudden injury. It proved to be a right abductor strain.

Finnegan may have avoided a worst-case scenario, but he still tweaked his groin enough to warrant a multi-week absence. The Tigers placed the six-year veteran on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 1, meaning he’ll be eligible to return on September 16th. He could be back in just over a week. But with the postseason looming, Detroit can’t afford a late-season losing streak.

Series Loss Could Indicate Struggles to Come for Detroit

Finnegan’s absence was immediately felt in Detroit’s first full series without him. The Tigers dropped two of three to the lowly Chicago White Sox, with the team’s bullpen struggles at the forefront of the losses.

Detroit led 4-3 in the fourth inning on Friday before a pitching collapse resulted in four more Chicago runs over the next three innings. The White Sox went on to win 7-4. The Tigers controlled Saturday’s 6-0 victory from start to finish, but their bullpen struggles resurfaced in the series finale. Once again holding a 4-3 lead in the closing innings, Troy Melton and Tommy Kahnle proceeded to give up three combined runs in the seventh and eighth, respectively, costing the team a series victory over a team Detroit leads by 27 games.

At this point in the season, the AL Central is as good as Detroit’s. But if the team has plans to win the American League pennant, the Tigers won’t be taking the rest of the regular season lightly. Detroit has had a rotating cast of bullpen arms all season, and while Finnegan’s injury doesn’t help with continuity, the Tigers would be wise to use his absence as an opportunity to establish their late-game inning-eaters.

Without Finnegan closing, several of Detroit’s bullpen arms could be getting a taste of high-leverage situations they may not have seen otherwise. It will be a test for a bullpen that has proven capable (2.98 bullpen ERA in August) but also one that has seen its fair share of struggles.

At the very least, though, the Tigers will be able to determine which arms belong on their postseason roster.