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Kenley Jansen Throwing a Bullpen on Friday
Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen (pelvis), who is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list next Friday, is throwing a bullpen session on Friday, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Jansen has been out since May 28 with inflammation in his pelvis, but the veteran reliever is already throwing off a mound and could be ready to return to start next weekend if he continues to progress and can avoid any setbacks. Although Will Vest and Enmanuel De Jesus have the Tigers' last two saves with Jensen on the shelf, right-hander Kyle Finnegan is considered the best option for saves in the short term until Jansen can return to the back end of the Tigers' bullpen. The 38-year-old Jansen has seven saves in 15 innings pitched in his first year in Motown, but he has shown his age, going 1-3 with a 4.80 ERA (5.84 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and nine walks in his 18 relief appearances. He's going to need to pitch better upon his return to hold off Finnegan in the ninth inning for the rest of the 2026 season. Jansen is currently rostered in 68% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Kyle Finnegan Deployed in Setup Role on Monday, Will He Earn Save Opportunities?
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan was expected to step in as the team's fill-in closer while Kenley Jansen (pelvis) is on the injured list, but that wasn't how the script unfolded on Monday. Finnegan entered an 8-5 game in the seventh inning in a high-leverage spot against the top of the Rays' order. He allowed a single to Yandy Diaz, but struck out Jonathan Aranda, and then induced an inning-ending double play from Richie Palacios. The eighth and ninth innings didn't go smoothly for Beau Brieske and Will Vest, but the team held on for a wild 10-9 win, with Vest earning the save. Finnegan could still end up getting short-term save opportunities, especially with his effective outing on Monday, but the full-time closer job isn't going to be his alone. He's a speculative add in most leagues at this point, but he brings intriguing upside for as long as Jansen is unavailable.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Will Vest Tallies Five-Out Save for Tigers, Is He the Short-Term Closer?
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Will Vest closed out his team's 10-9 win over the Rays on Monday night, earning his first save of the season. The 30-year-old righty entered a messy situation in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out while his team was holding a 10-5 lead. He gave up a double and a single, allowing four runs to score, but preserved the lead. Things went much more smoothly for Vest in the 1-2-3 ninth inning, finishing with back-to-back strikeouts. He was charged with one run in his 1 2/3 innings, but he still lowered his ERA to 7.23 on the season. His 3.45 FIP and 3.35 xERA indicate he has pitched better than his elevated ERA indicates, but he is still very high-risk after his rough start to the season. Even though he's risky, he does have enough upside to consider from the waiver wire, though, since the Tigers are without closer Kenley Jansen (pelvis) and saves should be available. Vest got the job done on Monday and does have potential to be a short-term source of saves for deep leagues.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kyle Finnegan a Good Short-Term Source for Saves?
Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Kyle Finnegan should have a chance to be a good source of save opportunities in the short-term, with 38-year-old Kenley Jansen (groin) landing on the injured list on Thursday with a lower-body injury. Although Finnegan's 1.75 ERA looks good on the surface, his ERA estimators all support that he has been very lucky, as evidenced by his 4.38 xERA, 5.13 FIP, and 5.99 SIERA. The discrepancy between his underlying data and surface stats is too wide to assume that regression isn't coming. He also owns a 1.56 WHIP, which is not good, and he is walking batters at a 17.6 percent clip with a 13.9 percent strikeout rate. All that to say, he does have a lot of closing experience with 113 career saves over seven MLB seasons, and all fantasy managers need from him is to lock down those saves in the ninth inning to get a point in that category. During a season where saves have been hard to come by, fantasy managers in formats where they are desperate for saves will want to take a look at Finnegan, only while Jansen is sidelined.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Tigers Place Kenley Jansen on Injured List With Pelvic Inflammation
The Detroit Tigers placed veteran right-handed closer Kenley Jansen (pelvis) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with pelvic inflammation and recalled left-hander Drew Sommers from the minors in a corresponding move, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. The Tigers initially announced that Jansen was removed from his outing on Wednesday night against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, with a right-groin injury. The 17-year veteran and four-time All-Star has seven saves in 18 appearances in his first year with Detroit, but he's also gone 1-3 and has struggled to a 4.80 ERA (5.80 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and nine walks in 15 innings pitched. Will Vest hasn't been any better in 2026 and has also dealt with injuries, so right-hander Kyle Finnegan should be the reliever to target off the waiver wire now that Jansen is on the shelf. Finnegan has just one save this year and has walked 19, but he's allowed just five earned runs in 25 2/3 frames with 15 K's, and he has 113 career saves in six-plus MLB seasons. He is rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
Kyle Finnegan Emerging as Top Waiver-Wire Option for Saves in Detroit
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan could be set to step into a much larger role going forward, and his fantasy value would skyrocket if he takes over as the full-time closer in Detroit. Current closer Kenley Jansen (groin) got a visit from the trainer before Wednesday's outing but pitched through the issue, getting two quick outs before issuing a walk and leaving the game. The veteran closer will have further evaluation and possibly imaging to determine the severity of the issue and if he'll end up on the injured list. Finnegan had a career-high 38 saves in 2024 with the Nationals before being traded to Detroit at the Trade Deadline last year. The 34-year-old righty has a 1.75 ERA in his 25 2/3 innings in 25 appearances this season with just one save to go with his six holds. If Jansen lands on the injured list, Finnegan would likely be the next option to step up in Detroit's bullpen and could be a great source of saves for as long as Jansen is sidelined. Finnegan is worth an instant addition in deep leagues as a speculative pickup, and the situation is critical to monitor in standard-sized leagues as well, since Finnegan would be a top closer for as long as he has the full-time job.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kenley Jansen Exits Relief Appearance on Wednesday With Groin Injury
Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen (groin) exited early from his relief appearance on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Angels due to a right-groin injury, per Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Jansen recorded two outs and walked a batter in the ninth inning before being pulled from the game. The 38-year-old has been shaky in his first season with Detroit, converting just seven out of 11 save chances while pitching to a 4.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 15 innings. The seriousness of Jansen's injury is not yet clear, but this is the second time in 2026 that the veteran right-hander has battled groin discomfort. If Jansen ends up missing time, Kyle Finnegan could be in line to assume the ninth-inning role for the Tigers.
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Troy Melton Emerging as Top Stash Option After Dominant Rehab Outing?
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton (elbow) made his fourth rehab appearance on Wednesday, allowing one run, two hits, zero walks, and six strikeouts across five innings of work with the organization's Class-A affiliate. Melton has been on the 60-day injured list since March, and he has not yet pitched in an MLB game this season. He's eligible to be activated from the IL as early as Sunday, but the Tigers are also allowed to keep him on rehab assignment through the rest of the month, if they desire. It does seem like he's very close to returning, as Melton has tossed 11.2 innings across four rehab starts with just two earned runs and 16 strikeouts. Given how well he has pitched in the minors, he represents an intriguing waiver wire addition in fantasy baseball. Managers would be wise to stash him ahead of his return to the Tigers' 26-man roster. He's currently rostered in just 2% of leagues, but that percentage will increase once the Tigers officially activate him. Managers should be optimistic about his potential to build on his rookie season last year, when he posted a 2.76 ERA between the rotation and bullpen.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Is Kyle Finnegan the Top Closer Handcuff Available on the Waiver Wire?
Detroit Tigers right-hander Kyle Finnegan has gotten results so far in 2026, pitching to a 1.53 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and one save across 17 2/3 innings (18 games). Finnegan is currently blocked off from save opportunities in Detroit by veteran Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who remains the team's preferred option in the ninth inning. However, Jansen has pitched to a 5.40 ERA with three blown saves across 11 appearances so far this season. Should Detroit choose to alter its late-inning mix, Finnegan could step in as the new closer. The 34-year-old has 113 career saves across 365 MLB appearances. While Finnegan's 0.0% K-BB rate does not exactly scream typical closer dominance, he's proven the ability to close games in the past. For fantasy managers in need of saves, Finnegan could be worth stashing off the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
