#kyle-finnegan

#kyle-finnegan

The day we realized that Finnegan might be a fixture in a high-leverage relief role was when he struck out the side against the Angels. In a game early in 2022, the Nationals had a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning, but the top of the lineup was due up for the Angels. That meant someone had to face the star-studded trio of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and former Nationals standout Anthony Rendon.

At the earliest, Finnegan could return Sept. 16 for the Tigers' opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park, but the 34-year-old might need more than the minimum stay on the injured list. "It's mild, which is a good sign," manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday's game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. "The only way to strengthen and rehab this is to have a little period of shutting down games.

With Meadows back in the lineup, he'll take center field back over from veterans Javier Baez and Wenceel Perez. The duo shared the position while Meadows missed time with a quad injury. His return comes at a good time, with the Tigers looking to solidify their spot at the top of the Central. How much impact will Meadows make now that he's back? Perhaps even more important is Finnegan's status. How long will the trade deadline acquisition miss?

Eugenio Suárez has been on fire at the plate over the past year-plus, with 59 home runs and a .281/.336/.611 batting line since July 7th of last year.