A troubling July for the Tigers just got worse.
After winning for just the second time in the prior 14 games on Sunday, the Tigers announced Monday that starting pitcher Reese Olson is done for the regular season with a right shoulder strain and center fielder Parker Meadows is hitting the injured list with a quad strain.
The loss of Olson precipitated the Tigers' trade with the Twins for starting pitcher Chris Paddack, plus reliever Randy Dobnak.
"As soon as I heard about Reese, I wanted to make sure that we could strengthen our rotation," Tigers president of baseball ops Scott Harris told reporters before Monday's game against the Diamondbacks. "We wish we could have added Chris and kept Reese, but that just wasn't in the cards for us."
Olson, 25, had a 3.15 ERA in 13 starts this season, also missing significant time due to a finger injury. He reported the shoulder injury during his last bullpen session after surrendering five runs to the Blue Jays last Thursday. There's a chance that Olson could return in the playoffs, but he's likely done until 2026.
Meadows, meanwhile, has been placed on the 10-day IL, after starting the season on the 60-day IL with an arm injury. A major part of the Tigers' playoff run last year, Meadows has struggled since returning to the lineup.
The Tigers noticed Meadows protecting his quad in the field and on the bases in their win over the Blue Jays on Sunday. They believe that because they caught the injury early enough, "there won't be a tear or a high-grade strain," Harris said.
"We're hopeful that he's going to be back soon," said Harris.
In 38 games this season, Meadows was hitting .200 with little power and wasn't playing his normally elite defense in center.
In corresponding moves, the Tigers have recalled infielder-outfielders Andy Ibañez and Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A Toledo, both of whom were with the team earlier this season.
