Detroit Tigers reliever Will Vest avoids injured list after 'scary' situation with finger
Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Will Vest has avoided the injured list.
The 30-year-old, who leads the Tigers with 12 saves, felt discomfort in his right pinky finger in the eighth inning Sunday, June 15, against the Cincinnati Reds at Comerica Park. He exited the game alongside a trainer after throwing a wild pitch.
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But Vest won't miss an extended period of time.
"I don't know what it was, other than I'm glad to get the news on the off day that everything checked out," manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday, June 17, before the opener of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "We'll go day-to-day and see what he can do for us, but I was very thankful that it sounds like we've avoided anything more major."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Will Vest (19) celebrates 3-1 win over Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 6, 2025.
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Vest underwent tests after leaving Sunday's game.
The Tigers evaluated the results.
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It was positive news.
"On the last pitch, I felt something zing a little bit in my fingers," Vest said Tuesday, just two days after the injury. "I lost a little bit of feeling in the bottom two (fingers). We were just being pretty cautious. We went to get some tests. Thankfully, everything was good."
Vest has a 2.57 ERA with nine walks and 37 strikeouts across 35 innings in 32 games, racking up 12 saves in 15 opportunities. He has produced 0.9 fWAR, which is tied for 14th among 182 qualified relievers in the big leagues. The next best Tiger is right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee, tied for 63rd with 0.4 fWAR.
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This is Vest's fifth MLB season.
His 26.6% strikeout rate ranks in the 76th percentile among MLB pitchers, while his 6.5% walk rate ranks in the 75th percentile. He also induces ground balls at an elite 59.1% clip, ranking in the 96th percentile.
Vest is the Tigers' best reliever.
"It's uncommon," Vest said. "You don't feel that on every pitch. There are a lot of emotions going on during that, but you have to do your best to calm down and not freak out."
The Tigers employ a two-closer system with Vest and fellow righty reliever Tommy Kahnle, combining for 20 saves — Vest with 12, Kahnle with 8.
Vest owns a 2.81 ERA over the past three seasons, spanning 153⅔ innings in 149 games. He has improved his performance in each of the three seasons, posting a 2.98 ERA in 2023, a 2.82 ERA in 2024 and a 2.57 ERA in 2025.
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"There's a difference between being sore and being hurt," said Vest, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 while pitching for his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin. "As a pitcher, you learn how to pitch through soreness. When there's something different that you haven't dealt with in the past, then it can kind of alarm you a little bit. I think that's what I went through. I wanted to make sure everything was OK."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers reliever Will Vest avoids injured list
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