Olson (6 scoreless IP) still deals despite battling sore finger

TORONTO -- Reese Olson’s changeup has become one of the statistically nastiest offspeed pitches in baseball, from a .111 batting average allowed (5-for-45) to a 43.8 percent whiff rate. It accounted for five of his 12 whiffs and four of his 16 called strikes over six scoreless innings Saturday against the Blue Jays, keeping the Tigers in a low-scoring duel before a 2-1 walkoff loss at Rogers Centre. It’s a big reason why Olson has become the third Tigers starter with a sub-3.00 ERA this season (2.96), behind Casey Mize (2.53) and Tarik Skubal (2.67).

So when Olson and manager A.J. Hinch said he was experiencing ring finger irritation throwing his changeup, it commanded some attention. It didn’t seem to bother Olson much by the results, but it was enough to prompt Hinch to go to his bullpen maybe an inning sooner than he otherwise would have.

“Just a little irritation in my ring finger, on the changeup especially,” Olson said. “Started feeling it later in the outing. I think I probably would’ve been fine, but I think everybody’s just playing it safe.”

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The good news is that it’s not a blister, because that could cost time. With Mize on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, Sawyer Gipson-Long on a rehab assignment as he works back from last year’s Tommy John and hip surgeries, Keider Montero already in the rotation and Matt Manning pitching in relief for Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers don’t have an abundance of depth at the moment.

“I think it’s probably just a little cramp going on,” said Olson, who faced one batter over the minimum and needed just 85 pitches over six innings. “For whatever reason, you get these little things throughout the year in outings here and there.”

After spending most of the week outslugging teams, including three home runs in Friday’s series-opening win, the Tigers faced a low-scoring battle that befits their style from last season, albeit now with a traditional starter. Olson kept them in it by tossing his fourth scoreless outing of five or more innings in his past six starts.

“He was really good,” Hinch said. “Early on, he was going toe to toe with their pitching staff and getting his outs. He used his stuff effectively. So overall, he was pretty good.”

Olson’s lone hit allowed was a Bo Bichette grounder that rolled along the Rogers Centre turf and through the right side of the infield on Olson’s fourth pitch of the game. He retired 17 of his final 18 batters from there, his lone exception a third-inning leadoff walk after a 12-pitch battle with Tyler Heineman. Olson nearly let the lengthy at-bat unravel him, falling behind on a 3-0 count to ninth batter Michael Stefanic, but he recovered for a popout to third before getting an inning-ending double-play grounder from Bichette.

“It was a frustrating at-bat,” Olson said of the walk. “It felt like I was in a good spot early, and then I kind of wasted a changeup; I think it was 1-2 [count]. He battled me. Going 3-0 to the next guy, he’s probably not going to swing at that 3-0 pitch, and then just going from there trying to make pitches.”

After a difficult opening stretch, Olson has a 1.60 ERA over his past six outings, allowing just 21 hits over 33 2/3 innings with 38 strikeouts. The changeup has been a big reason behind that, but Olson said it goes hand-in-hand with fastball command. Most of his hits allowed off the changeup came in his previous start against the Rangers, when he allowed seven hits over four innings while struggling to throw fastballs for strikes.

The Jays connected on 13 of 14 swings against Olson’s fastball, averaging 97.2 mph in exit velocity, but took five for called strikes.

“When I can command both of my heaters,” Olson said, “it kind of opens up the changeup and the slider. They have to respect the heaters, and that’s when I get the chases on everything else.”

The Tigers need to keep Olson healthy and effective. His next start would fall in next week’s series against the Guardians to begin a division clash at Comerica Park.