Tigers place Jack Flaherty on injured list just as team gets ace Tarik Skubal back after surgery

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Detroit Tigers welcomed back their best pitcher and placed another starter on the injured list on Saturday.

Jack Flaherty, who left Friday’s start against the Guardians after three innings with lower leg soreness, was placed on the 15-day injured list just as the Tigers got back two-time defending Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

The Tigers listed Flaherty’s injury as a left peroneal (tendon) strain. It’s not known how long he’ll be sidelined.

To fill his roster spot, the team recalled third baseman Hao-Yu Lee from Triple-A. He started Saturday and batted ninth.

Flaherty’s injury is just the latest for the Tigers, who were without Skubal for more than a month after he had surgery on his left elbow. A new arthroscope was used in Skubal’s procedure, and the ace returned Saturday at Cleveland following a speedy recovery.

On Sunday, the Tigers will start Casey Miez, who has been out since late May with a groin injury.

Flaherty appeared to hurt himself when he slipped on the mound in the first inning Friday while pitching to Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter. The right-hander changed cleats but wound up leaving after just three innings.

The injury to Flaherty is another blow to the Tigers, who have been dealing with injuries to their roster all season.

“We had 15 on the injured list, and it’s starting to whittle down,” manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday’s game. “The positive news is starting to come and just kind of chipping away at getting a team back that we expected to have. It started with the position players; we’ve seen immediate impact from getting Gleyber (Torres) and (Kerry Carpenter) back in the lineup, and we expect the same in the rotation. It’s been a long time coming.”

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