Important Detroit Tigers Utility Man Has Taken Key Steps in Rehab Process

A key player for the Detroit Tigers has started to take important steps towards getting back onto the field.

Feb 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling (8) takes batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It's been about as good of a start to this season as the Detroit Tigers could have imagined.

Coming off their improbable run during the second half of the 2024 campaign that earned them a Wild Card spot and upset over the Houston Astros in that round of the playoffs, the expectations for this team became high considering the emerging talent throughout their roster.

A fairly quiet winter became more notable when they picked up multiple injuries in spring training to key players, something that could have been a major detriment to the Tigers in the early going.

That looked to be the case following their season-opening sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but since that point, they have won 15 out of their last 22 games heading into their weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Detroit also seems to be trending towards getting one of their key players back from the injured list.

According to Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press, Matt Vierling has taken the next steps in his rehab process that signals he's inching closer to making his return.

Placed on the 10-day injured list prior to the start of the 2025 campaign due to a rotator cuff muscle strain in his throwing shoulder, the utility man has begun going through baseball activities by facing pitching in a live bullpen session.

Manager A.J. Hinch told Ramsey that "there's no restriction whatsoever on running, hitting, sliding" or "the offensive side of the rehab," so having Vierling face live pitching is a "head start" in his rehab process.

The skipper said the next steps towards Vierling returning to game action is being cleared for "baseball throwing," so once that happens, they will be able to start a "spring training-like workload" that gets him on track to return.

His eventual addition will be huge for the Tigers.

He can play multiple positions in the field -- mainly third base and the corner outfield spots -- while also putting up an OPS+ that's three points above the league average with double-digit home runs in both seasons with Detroit.

Vierling is a key piece in Hinch's puzzle, and once he's back, the Tigers could take even another step forward this year.