MLB Player News

Manager A.J. Hinch announced Wednesday that Skubal will draw the starting nod for the Tigers' Opening Day game March 26 versus the Padres in San Diego, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

While his long-term future in Detroit remains murky, Skubal will once again head into the 2026 campaign as the staff ace coming off back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards. The Tigers may look to manage Skubal's innings during the Grapefruit League after he logged a combined 216 frames between the regular season and playoffs in 2025, but he should be fully ramped up and ready to handle a standard workload by the time Opening Day arrives.

Hader will resume a throwing program Wednesday after being shut down since early February with left bicep inflammation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It seems the left shoulder strain that sidelined Hader for the final seven-plus weeks of last season is behind him, but now he has a new injury to contend with. The veteran reliever will resume throwing Wednesday and ramp up slowly, and his status for Opening Day is up in the air. If Hader needs some time on the injured list, Bryan Abreu would step in as the Astros' closer.

The Tigers announced Wednesday that Darnell (hip) will be sidelined for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Darnell is still on the mend from left hip labral repair surgery, which he underwent last September. Before being shut down by the injury, the 28-year-old righty made nine appearances out of the Colorado bullpen and logged a 3.86 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 5:7 K:BB across 11.2 innings. After being claimed off waivers by the Tigers in November, Darnell was designated for assignment but then re-signed to a minor-league deal. He's attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he'll likely need to complete his rehab within the next week or two to have any shot at all of winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

Valencia will be slowed at the start of Tigers camp by a left quadriceps injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It's not clear when Valencia was injured or how long he might be shelved. The 26-year-old was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster this offseason and is slated to open the season at Triple-A Toledo.

The Tigers announced Wednesday that Horn is recovering from arthroscopic left elbow surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It's unclear when exactly Horn had the operation, so a timetable for him to resume throwing is also cloudy. The lefty made 10 appearances out of the Tigers bullpen last season, collecting a 1.59 ERA and 10:7 K:BB over 11.1 innings.

Gipson-Long is recovering from a left oblique strain, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It's unclear at this point when Gipson-Long suffered the injury or how long he might be shelved. The right-hander already looked to be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Tigers' rotation, even with Reese Olson (shoulder) and Jackson Jobe (elbow) potentially set to miss the entire season, and this development won't help his case. Gipson-Long has missed much of the last two seasons due to Tommy John and hip surgeries.

Dingler will be eased into spring training after undergoing arthroscopic right elbow surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It's unclear when exactly Dingler had the operation, but he had a similar surgery two years ago and does not expect to be sidelined for much of camp. Dingler -- who won a Gold Glove in 2025 -- should be fine for Opening Day, but if his recovery lags, Jake Rogers would step in as the Tigers' primary catcher.

The Rangers signed Montgomery (elbow) to a one-year, $1.25 million contract Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Montgomery had a hybrid UCL reconstruction last March but hopes to be major-league ready around the All-Star break. The 33-year-old had a disastrous 2024 season with the Diamondbacks after signing late in spring training, posting a 6.23 ERA over 25 appearances. He was terrific in 2023, however, which included starring for the Rangers down the stretch of the regular season and their run to the World Series. The two sides are hoping to recapture some of that magic in 2026.

DeLauter will play center field and right field during training camp, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

DeLauter has a chance to be an everyday outfielder and middle-of-the-order bat for the Guardians in 2026, but he'll need to stay healthy. Since being drafted in the first round in 2022, DeLauter has played just 138 regular-season games in the minors due to a variety of injuries. He played just 42 games last season due to core muscle surgery in March and right wrist surgery in July. When healthy, DeLauter has made an impact offensively, posting a .888 OPS during his career in the minors.

Madden (shoulder), who missed all of the 2025 season, is expected to be ready for spring training, MLB.com reports.

Madden sustained a right rotator cuff strain last spring and ended up missing the entire season as a result. After a long recovery period, the 25-year-old righty appears to be ready to take the mound again. As a rookie in 2024, Madden appeared in six games for the Tigers, posting a 4.30 ERA across 23 innings. He figures to compete for a bullpen role during camp.