DETROIT -- Every Major League starting pitcher has to learn how to survive games when they don’t have their full arsenal working. That’s not why Reese Olson pitched without his changeup Saturday night for Triple-A Toledo, but if it ends up being a side benefit from his rehab assignment, it’ll be a bonus.
While the Tigers wait for Olson’s right ring finger to heal and allow him to throw his wipeout offspeed pitch, they’re sending him out for rehab starts to keep his arm strength and endurance built up. He allowed two runs on two hits with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings on Saturday against Omaha, the Royals’ top affiliate.
“He didn’t throw any changeups, and that was by design,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “One of the things we need to do is keep his endurance up, so getting his pitch [count] up to the 40s and 50s was important. The three [times getting up] was important. He feels good with his other pitches. But even at the end of the outing, you could see a little bit of why we need to keep his endurance up. …
“It was a good step forward for him. It was close to exactly what we wanted.”
Olson threw 29 of his 48 pitches for strikes. His fastball sat at 95 mph early, topping out at 95.4 before settling back late in his outing. He gave up a Cavan Biggio home run in the first inning but also struck out two, including a curveball for a called third strike on Diego Castillo to open the game.
Olson had high spin rates on his slider and curveball, topping out at 3,076 rpm on the former.
Biggio drove in the other run off Olson with a third-inning sacrifice fly after a Nick Pratto walk and a Castillo single.
Olson will make another rehab start for Toledo at St. Paul later this week, with or without his changeup, depending on how it feels during his between-starts work in Detroit. He received an injection last week to address lingering inflammation in the finger.
Brebbia designated for assignment, Owens recalled
John Brebbia’s roster spot seemed at risk when the veteran reliever allowed three runs and recorded just one out during a 31-pitch ninth inning in Friday’s 11-5 win over the Reds. Once Brebbia came back Saturday and allowed three runs in the eighth inning of an 11-1 loss, his exit seemed imminent.
The Tigers made it official on Sunday morning, designating Brebbia for assignment and recalling right-hander Tyler Owens to fill his spot.
Detroit signed Brebbia at the start of Spring Training to an incentive-laden one-year, $2.75 million contract that included a $4 million club option for next year. Tigers officials hoped his experience and strikeout rate could address two areas of need in the bullpen, but his struggles led to a parting of ways well before contract incentives could kick in.
Brebbia started decently, allowing one earned run on three hits over nine innings with nine strikeouts, though five walks and three hit batters reflected a command issue. He missed three weeks with a right triceps strain and never got back to form, allowing 19 hits over 9 2/3 innings despite 11 strikeouts.
“He is a better pitcher than he showed,” Hinch said. “At the end of the day, for him to contribute like he should, he has to be in the strike zone. I thought he sprayed the ball a lot more, couldn’t quite get a feel for his pitches. When he did get in the zone, it was damage. And so, it just didn’t work out. He’s a good guy, good teammate. But filling the role, it felt like we had to give an opportunity to someone else.”
That first opportunity goes to Owens, who made his Major League debut with the Tigers on May 1 and finished back-to-back extra-inning wins over the Angels. He has been on a roll in June with Toledo, allowing a solo homer and a single over four innings, with a walk and four strikeouts.
Carpenter cognizant of hamstring
The sight of Kerry Carpenter being thrown out at home on Friday raised questions about the health of his right hamstring, which knocked him out of the lineup a couple of weeks ago in Chicago. Carpenter acknowledged Sunday it’s something he’s still working through.
“Didn’t quite go away as quickly as it did before,” Carpenter said. “Just being a little more careful probably with it, and communicating with the staff about it more and working with the strength coaches and trainers. It’s been getting better in the last week or so.”
The hamstring is on his mind when he rounds bases, he said. He feels fine running straight and running in the outfield.