The Detroit Tigers are closing in on a division title, but one key piece of their bullpen remains uncertain. Veteran reliever Paul Sewald is progressing in his recovery from a right shoulder strain, yet manager AJ Hinch has offered no firm plan for his return. With just 11 games left in the regular season, the lack of clarity around Sewald’s status raises questions about Detroit’s late-inning strategy heading into October.
The injury update regarding Sewald brings both optimism and uncertainty. The 35-year-old veteran was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians at the 2025 MLB trade deadline but has not pitched since mid-July due to a right shoulder strain. He completed a live batting practice session on Monday, and medical tests returned clean results. Despite that progress, the Tigers manager has yet to commit to a specific timeline for Sewald’s return to the active roster.
The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), sharing that Sewald was back with the team, but the plan for activation remained vague.
“Paul Sewald will be with the team in Detroit, but there's still no firm date for his return. AJ Hinch called it ‘all good' but said it’s still day to day.”
Sewald’s presence is especially important given the Tigers bullpen struggles since the All-Star break. The unit owns a 4.22 ERA during that span and recently collapsed in a 7-5 extra-inning loss to the Guardians. Detroit’s lack of consistency in late-inning situations could be costly down the stretch.
The update from Hinch has added intrigue to the Tigers’ strategy heading into the final stretch. While the Tigers manager praised the veteran right-hander’s recovery and confirmed that Sewald completed his rehab assignment on Tuesday, he remained noncommittal about when—or if—the reliever will be activated. With just 11 games left in the regular season, the club must decide whether to add Sewald to the roster or continue navigating high-leverage situations without him.
For now, the plan remains unclear. The Tigers will need answers soon—or risk heading into the postseason without the veteran arm they acquired in hopes of making a meaningful push during this breakout 2025 season.
