Alex Lange quickly became a staple of the Detroit Tigers’ pitching corps after joining the team in 2021. He only continued to progress with more service time under his belt, eventually serving as the franchise’s full-time closer, adding 26 saves to his resume in 2023. With hopes to compete in the next season, Lange was slated to return to the role after a promising campaign. Unfortunately for the 29-year-old right-hander, though, his plans of contributing to a Tigers’ postseason run fell apart early in the 2024 season.
Long-Awaited Return of Alex Lange Will Boost Tigers’ Struggling Bullpen
Lost in Detroit’s spirited turnaround last season was the absence of Lange. The 29-year-old suffered an avulsion in his right lat muscle and underwent season-ending surgery on June 18, 2024. The injury was a severe blow to a team with hopes of returning to the playoffs. But as we saw throughout the team’s torrid second half, the Tigers managed to press on.
From that point, Jason Foley took over as Detroit’s full-time closer. The team also relied heavily on Will Vest and Tyler Holton to hold down the fort. The pair of veteran arms filled in admirably, especially Holton. The left-hander even received MVP consideration in 2024. Still, the majority of the Tigers’ bullpen left plenty to be desired.
Detroit’s bullpen replacements have underwhelmed in 2025
Knowing Foley would also be sidelined this season, Detroit revamped its reliever room. The team said goodbye to the likes of Shelby Miller, Alex Faedo, and Joey Wentz. In their stead came more established arms in Tommy Kahnle and John Brebbia. Despite Detroit’s first-place standing in the AL Central, though, the team has won in spite of its bullpen on several occasions.
After boasting a top-five bullpen ERA in 2024 (3.55), Detroit’s pen sits in the middle of the pack this season, ranking 17th at 4.02. While not a disastrous situation, there has been a clear need for reinforcements all season, a need that the franchise’s front office did not address enough at the trade deadline.
Even with the prevalent struggles of Kahnle and Brenan Hanifee, Detroit wasn’t swayed to make significant changes. Instead, the Tigers mostly went dumpster-diving at the deadline. Replacing injured starters Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson with Chris Paddack and Charlie Morton is the issue. But Detroit also didn’t do much to improve its pen noticeably.
Tigers failed to make impactful trade deadline deals.
Outside of Kyle Finnegan, who has yet to give up a run in eight appearances, Detroit’s mid-season reliever acquisitions have ranged from mediocre to disastrous. Rafael Montero possesses a 6.35 in 5.2 innings. Meanwhile, Paul Sewald has yet to suit up as he recovers from a shoulder injury. In most cases, the team has been better off with rookie Troy Melton on the mound.
Detroit’s lack of a big move signaled the franchise’s belief that its in-house talent can get the job done. That trust will be put to the test with Lange’s return. After nearly 15 months on the shelf, the Tigers will undoubtedly work Lange back slowly. But if the team has World Series aspirations this season, they’ll need their former closer to have a prominent role in the stretch run.
Alex Lange should still find a role in Detroit’s new-look bullpen.
The closer role is likely Finnegan’s to lose now. But Lange should have plenty of chances to re-solidify himself in the coming weeks. While he won’t be shoved into high-leverage situations like he was in 2023, if Lange can return to his best form (3.41 ERA over 63.1 IP in 2023), then he should have no issue reclaiming a regular bullpen role. Even if he understandably takes time to adjust, though, Alex Lange is a welcome re-addition to a Tigers’ pen that is in dire need of consistency.
Main Photo Credits: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
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