Detroit Tigers Reliever Kyle Finnegan Due to Miss Remainder of Season

The Tigers' pitching staff takes a blow as Kyle Finnegan will finish the year on the IL.

Tigers pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Comerica Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It has been a brutal season for the Detroit Tigers, and the punches keep coming as they will be without reliever Kyle Finnegan for the rest of the year.

Finnegan has had a down year in terms of what is expected of him, as he will finish with a 4.30 ERA, which is the first time in his career that he has completed a year with an ERA above 3.76. That said, it won't necessarily be a huge loss to a struggling bullpen.

It is hard not to wonder how long Finnegan has been dealing with a groin issue, since the strain has officially knocked him out of the game for the rest of the month. His splits are completely hard to ignore, so maybe this was a lingering issue.

The Tigers today placed RHP Kyle Finnegan on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 16) with left groin inflammation. RHP Ty Madden was recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) September 17, 2026

The 35-year-old veteran is going to finish with the worst numbers since joining the majors after posting a 9.33 ERA after the All-Star break.

No matter the cause, Finnegan will look to the offseason to get healthy and ramp back up for a redemption tour. In the meantime, Ty Madden will take his place on the roster to ensure Detroit has the necessary reinforcements to finish this one out.

Madden made his debut two years ago, but missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a rotator cuff strain that he had setbacks rehabbing. So, his time in the majors has been quite limited, but he is boasting a 3.46 ERA in 39 innings this year.

A Look Ahead at the Remainder of the Tigers Schedule

Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) steps up to bat in the first inning of a game against the Rockies. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Detroit has nine games left this month, and they will need a lot of help if there is any chance of playing October baseball. Ultimately, winning games is all that the Tigers can control, and even if they don't make it, they are still playing for pride.

Right now, they are in a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox, which will finish off their final road trip of the year before heading back to Comerica Park to take on both the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Tigers are now without both Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, which was a gut punch to the fan base back at the trade deadline. But they do have a lot to be excited about moving forward, and with all the young talent they have on the roster each day, it is easy to do just that.