Detroit Tigers reliever Will Vest injury identified

Christian Romo, Detroit Free PressFri, Jul 10, 2026·3 min read

The Detroit Tigers finally know what's wrong with reliever Will Vest.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch announced on Friday, July 10, that Vest has been diagnosed with a right elbow stress fracture. There is no timeline for his return, but Hinch said he was hopeful Vest would pitch in the majors again by the end of the year.

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Vest was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 1 with inflammation in the back of his elbow, though it was unclear at the time what was causing the inflammation. Now the Tigers have a clearer idea of what Vest is facing, but it means he will likely be out for longer than initially thought, even as he avoided a potentially season-ending ligament injury.

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"When you initially have a pitcher go out with an arm injury, everybody goes to the worst-case scenario and the standard injuries that come with pitching. This one's obviously bone-related, which is a different rehab possibility," Hinch said, adding that he expects the Tigers to get more clarity about Vest's injury over the All-Star break next week.

Vest was in the middle of arguably his worst professional season in 2026 before hitting the injured list, sporting a 6.08 ERA over 26⅔ innings this season. He was a stalwart in the back of the Tigers' bullpen in 2024 and 2025, recording a team-high 23 saves in 2025, but has seen his fastball velocity drop by nearly 1 mph from 2025 to 2026 according to Statcast.

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Second baseman Gleyber Torres will be working over the All-Star break at the Tigers facility in Lakeland, Florida, as the veteran continues rehabbing his oblique injury. Torres has been out since June 15 after reaggravating his oblique, but is progressing toward returning to the field.

Torres took batting practice at Comerica Park hours before Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, taking about 20 swings and peppering the ball all over the field. He sent a couple of pitches out of the park and didn't appear to be in any pain.

Torres has been one of the team's most consistent hitters this season, sporting a .790 OPS over 43 games, fourth among Tigers with at least 190 plate appearances. The 2025 All-Star has missed over half the season due to injury, however, with his strained oblique the primary culprit.

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Right-handed starter Jackson Jobe will join Torres in Lakeland over the All-Star break as he continues rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Jobe completed his first rehab start since undergoing to surgery in June 2025, giving up one run on two hits over 1⅓ innings for Low-A Lakeland on July 7.

Jobe's return could help boost a red-hot rotation, which is sporting a 1.53 ERA over the last 10 games. Both rehabbers are going to Low-A Lakeland instead of Triple-A Toledo since the Florida Complex League will hold games over the All-Star break, unlike most other affiliated minor leagues.

Hinch said rookie catcher Eduardo Valencia will get his first major league start at catcher for the game against the Phillies on Saturday, July 11. He will catch righty Casey Mize.

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Hinch said he was hopeful that catcher Dillon Dingler, who is day-to-day with a contusion in his right hand, will be available for the series finale before the All-Star break. It is still unclear if Dingler will play or participate in the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Philadelphia, after being named to his first All-Star team last week.

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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers reliever Will Vest injury identified

Gleyber Torres injury update

Dillon Dingler still day-to-day