Detroit Tigers Slugger Has Huge Night During Injury Rehab Assignment

The Detroit Tigers have Matt Vierling on a rehab assignment and on Tuesday he showed he could be close to a return.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have been able to weather the early season storm of injuries in absolutely phenomenal fashion.

After virtually their entire outfield got depleted before the season even began, the Tigers have gotten off to a 22-13 start and look legitimately like one of the best teams in all of baseball.

One of those injured outfielders who they have been missing is star utility man Matt Vierling, who has proven over the years to be capable of playing just about any position you throw him in and doing it at a high level.

Vierling has been dealing with a rotator cuff issue since spring training which has held him out for the first month of the season, however it seems like he may be on the cusp of making his return.

When could Vierling be back with Detroit?

The Tigers got good news last week when it was revealed he was headed to Triple-A Toledo to begin his rehab assignment. When a player is sent on assignment, it is usually the final step before a return to the Majors.

Detroit is certainly watching Vierling closely as he takes his first game action of the season. However on Tuesday night they got a huge reason to think he is just about ready to come back.

In the first inning in just the second game of his rehab assignment, Vierling poked an opposite field home run out to right field to put the Mud Hens up in a game they would eventually win, 5-4, over the Iowa Cubs.

Matt Vierling gettin us started QUICK 🔥 https://t.co/nsFc0xQyiI pic.twitter.com/yxRXZK9sv4

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) May 6, 2025

It was the first hit of the 2025 season for the 28-year-old on a play that had to feel absolutely tremendous for someone who is trying to battle his way back.

On top of the home run, Vierling has also walked twice in each rehab game, showing he has not lost his ability to draw walks.

Last season, Vierling slashed .257/.312/.423 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI while playing 144 games at just about every position on defense.

He is one of the more valuable players on the team in terms of being able to plug him in wherever he's needed and should contribute heavily from the second he returns to Detroit.

As he continues to tune things up, clearly it's not going to be much longer before that actually happens and Tigers fans get the chance to see him back with the team for the first time this year.