CHICAGO -- After a long road to recovery from two separate surgeries last year, Sawyer Gipson-Long is back in the big leagues.
The Tigers activated Gipson-Long from the 60-day injured list and tabbed him to start Wednesday night’s matchup with the White Sox at Rate Field. To make room on the active roster, Detroit optioned Dylan Smith to Triple-A Toledo, and to open a spot on the 40-man roster, the team recalled Jason Foley from Triple-A and placed him on the 60-day IL as he continues to recover from right shoulder surgery.
Gipson-Long didn’t have a storybook first start back. He only made it through 3 2/3 innings, being charged with three runs on five hits and a walk. Thanks to the Tigers’ bullpen and a go-ahead RBI single by Colt Keith in the eighth, though, Detroit was able to beat Chicago, 5-4, to take a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
“I could've made a few better pitches, for sure,” Gipson-Long said, “but I'm grateful to even be back out there and pitching again. I definitely have stuff to work on, but I can put this one in the rearview mirror and say, 'I made it back,' and just keep building.”
Regardless of the outcome, Wednesday felt like a long time coming for the 27-year-old righty.
Gipson-Long debuted for the Tigers on Sept. 10, 2023 and made four starts over the last month of that season. In 20 innings, he posted a 2.70 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP and struck out 26 batters. Manager A.J. Hinch felt Gipson-Long was “scratching the surface” of what he could do -- until injuries forced him out of action.
He initially began the 2024 season on the IL with a groin strain. He made one rehab start, but then he underwent Tommy John surgery that April, followed by left hip surgery in July. That cost him the entire season, a tough hit considering the success he found in his first month up in the Majors.
The recovery process took time, but Gipson-Long, ranked as the Tigers’ No. 29 prospect by MLB Pipeline, got back on the mound May 8 as he began his Minor League rehab assignment. He ultimately made five rehab starts across three different levels (tossing 16 1/3 innings), and in his last start Thursday, he built up to 5 1/3 on 53 pitches and only gave up one run on one hit (a home run) while striking out five.
After Jackson Jobe hit the 15-day IL last week, joining fellow starters Reese Olson and Alex Cobb on the shelf, a spot in the rotation opened up. Detroit felt Gipson-Long was in a good enough spot to fill that role, and 615 days after he last pitched for the Tigers, he made his return Wednesday.
Even after a one-hour, 35-minute weather delay, Gipson-Long got through the first two frames pretty smoothly, including striking out White Sox designated hitter Mike Tauchman on three pitches to start his night. But Chicago got him for three runs between the third and fourth inning.
Hinch felt Gipson-Long “probably got a little bit tired” and “started throwing balls that were a little bit more hittable” as the game wore on. Despite the box score, Hinch was impressed just by Gipson-Long making his way back from the challenges thrown his way over the last year.
“Let's take a step back for a second -- what this guy's gone through for the last year, and what we're asking him to do at the tail end of him building back up, I thought it was pretty awesome,” Hinch said. “I think for him, we need to give him a little grace today that he ran out of steam a little bit, he didn't execute quite as well.
“There was a lot of good that came out of today when a team really needed it, and we should welcome him back to the big leagues with open arms with what he's done to get back.”
Gipson-Long admitted there were times over the last year-plus when he wondered if he would get back to this level. He worked hard and grinded through the rehab process, though, and that paid off as he finally got the ball for Detroit again.
“Obviously, I had bad days and I had really good days,” Gipson-Long said, “but I put in the work every day, no matter how it was feeling, and I showed up. And if you show up, you got a chance.”