Tigers’ Trade Deadline Pitching Haul Takes Another Injury Hit
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers spent the trade deadline loading up on young pitching.
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Less than three weeks later, a frustrating pattern has developed.
Right-hander Brady Smith, one of the three prospects Detroit acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tarik Skubal, was placed on the seven-day injured list by High-A West Michigan on Thursday. Minor League Baseball’s official transaction log confirmed the move after Smith left his Aug. 15 start with an apparent issue involving his throwing arm.
The Tigers have not announced the specific nature or severity of Smith’s injury.
That distinction matters. An IL placement is concerning. It is not an invitation to diagnose an arm injury from the couch.
Smith faced only five batters in his second start since joining the Tigers organization before leaving the mound with a trainer. The 21-year-old has made 23 starts this season, posting a 4.24 ERA with 118 strikeouts over 80⅔ innings.
He was assigned to West Michigan after Detroit completed the Skubal blockbuster along with outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-hander River Ryan.
Now two-thirds of the pitching acquired in Detroit’s two biggest deadline trades are dealing with injuries.
Tigers’ new pitching depth has quickly been tested
Ryan arrived from Los Angeles already dealing with a right hamstring strain and remains on the injured list with Triple-A Toledo. MLB’s Tigers injury tracker has listed his expected return for late August.
Then there is Kash Mayfield.
The 21-year-old left-hander was the centerpiece of the package Detroit received from San Diego for Casey Mize and Gage Workman. Mayfield was immediately one of the most intriguing arms added to the system, but West Michigan placed him on the seven-day IL on Aug. 11.
That leaves Ryan, Mayfield and Smith all sidelined at the same time.
It looks ugly. It also needs some perspective.
Detroit did not make these trades expecting all three pitchers to help the Major League rotation next week. These were long-term acquisitions, especially Smith and Mayfield, and development is rarely a straight line for young pitchers.
Still, the injuries temporarily delay one of the most important parts of the Tigers’ deadline strategy: getting their new arms into the organization, evaluating them and beginning the development process under Detroit’s pitching staff.
Smith is especially worth watching because arm trouble isn’t completely foreign to his history. The Dodgers selected him in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and he underwent Tommy John surgery before making his professional debut in 2025.
For now, Detroit’s biggest concern isn’t Smith’s ERA or when he makes his next start.
It’s finding out exactly what forced him off the mound.