The Detroit Tigers have had an inconsistent start to the 2026 MLB season, hovering around the .500 mark after one month of play.
Gleyber Torres has slowed down at the plate in his second season with the club. Torres has posted a .246 batting average, .380 on-base percentage, .696 OPS, two home runs and 10 RBIs across 31 games. He has not matched his power output from last year.
The 29-year-old infielder’s first season in Detroit last year was a massive success, as he earned an All-Star selection and helped the club reach the postseason for a second straight year.
As a result, the Tigers extended him the qualifying offer this past offseason, which Torres accepted, keeping him in Detroit for one more year. Although it is early, he has not looked like the same player.
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To make matters worse, Torres suffered an injury during Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers. He drew the start at second base and hit second in the batting order. Through his first two plate appearances, he was off to a strong start, collecting two singles and an RBI.
But as the top of the fourth inning approached, Torres was unexpectedly removed from the game. Rookie Hao-Yu Lee entered in his place. There was no clear reason for his early exit until the Tigers provided an update a few innings later.
“Gleyber Torres exited tonight’s game after experiencing tightness in his left side. He remains under evaluation,” the team wrote on X.
This is truly disappointing for the Tigers, who continue to be hit with injuries. If Torres ends up needing a stint on the injured list, he would join Zack McKinstry and Javier Baez, marking the third infielder to be sidelined.
Detroit will hope that further evaluation shows the injury is minor, as losing Torres for any length of time would be a major setback for a team trying to climb the standings in the American League Central.
