Gleyber Torres injury update: Tigers crisis gets worse with All-Star to IL

The Detroit Tigers placed second baseman Gleyber Torres on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a mild left oblique strain, the latest blow to a franchise already reeling from the loss of ace Tarik Skubal and the looming threat of a Framber Valdez suspension.  

Torres, 29, left Saturday’s game against Texas in the fourth inning after experiencing left side tightness and has not played since. This is the second time Torres has dealt with a left oblique issue. He missed time last season with the same injury. Jace Jung was called up to take Torres’ roster spot.  

The timing could not be worse for Detroit.  

Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, was placed on the injured list Monday and is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, with a recovery timeline of roughly two to three months. The 29-year-old had posted a 2.79 ERA with 45 strikeouts against just six walks in 43 1/3 innings before going down.  

Then on Tuesday night there was drama.

Valdez gave up back-to-back home runs to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, then hit Trevor Story with a 94-mile per hour fastball on the first pitch of his at-bat, clearing both benches. Valdez insisted it wasn’t intentional. The Red Sox weren’t buying it. MLB announced a six-game suspension for Valdez on Wednesday, a huge blow for the Tigers.

Detroit’s injured list already includes Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe. The Tigers sit at 18-19, tied with Cleaveland for first place in the American League Central. They finish a three-game series with Boston on Wednesday night at Comerica Park and then head to Kansas City to play the Royals over the weekend.  

Torres was hitting .259 with two home runs this season. The former Yankee returned to the Tigers this season on a one-year qualifying offer of $22 million after an All-Star 2025 season. His return timeline is unclear, though oblique strains historically require more than the minimum 10-day stint.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gleyber Torres injury: Tigers crisis gets worse after Skubal news