Detroit Tigers Lose Gleyber Torres Again After New Injury Setback

Just as the Detroit Tigers were getting good news with several players coming off the injured list on top of a strong start to June, the franchise has to deal with yet another injured player. In this case, the Tigers are sending a player back to the injured list who just came off no less than three weeks ago.

Second baseman Gleyber Torres was placed on the 10-Day IL with a left oblique strain following his removal from game one of a three-game series on the road against the Houston Astros. Torres took an awkward swing, resulting in manager A.J. Hinch coming out of the dugout and removing him from the game.

His placement on the IL allows Casey Mize to come off the injured list to make his scheduled start in the series finale against the Astros.

Torres was a fire starter for a dull Tigers offense when returning to the team, collecting a home run in his first at-bat off the injured list while holding a .341 AVG and a .998 OPS in total for June. The veteran was on the injured list earlier this season for a mild oblique strain.

While Torres wasn't the sole reason that Detroit's offense started waking up at the plate, he does add an extra element to the lineup that forces pitchers to attack differently. With him on the injured list again, someone needs to step up.

Hao-Yu Lee's Moment to Shine

Hao-Yu Lee came out of the dugout to take on Kai-Wei Teng as the only two active Taiwanese-born players faced off for the first time back in game one of the series. Teng won the battle in their first meeting, but Lee singled to right for his first full at-bat of the game.

Lee was sent down to Triple-A Toledo earlier this month in a slew of roster moves, but returned when Detroit placed starting pitcher Jack Flaherty on the 15-day injured list with a left peroneal strain. Since returning, Lee has gone five for nine, also collecting his first Major League stolen base.

Before getting sent back down to the minors, Lee was hitting .205 at the plate (now up to .239) and was playing below-average defense. He did miss a play in the bottom of the eighth that would have kept the game tied, but it did lead to the Tigers' eventual 4-2 defeat.

So long as he has this opportunity on the MLB roster, he needs to show that he can be a crucial part of the future of the franchise, and it starts with improving his defense.

Lee has the swing style to be successful in Major League Baseball, so the biggest thing he needs to improve on is defense. Torres has been one of the best fielding second basemen in the MLB in 2026, so Lee has some shoes to fill whenever he plays that position.

Defensive Runs Saved Leaders - Second Baseman pic.twitter.com/qADextwNp8
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 12, 2026

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