Detroit Tigers lineup vs Cleveland Guardians: Tyler Holton gets start in bullpen-only game

Detroit Tigers (50-53) vs. Cleveland Guardians (61-40)

When: 1:10 p.m. Thursday.

Where: Progressive Field in Cleveland.

TV: Bally Sports Detroit, MLB Network (out-of-market only). (Have Xfinity but still looking for a way to watch BSD? Here are some other options .)

Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1). ( Tigers radio affiliates ).

Probable pitchers: Tigers LHP Tyler Holton (4-1, 3.07 ERA) vs. Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (0-2, 4.50).

Weather: Sunny, mid 70s.

• Box score

Tigers lineup : TBD.

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Game notes: The Detroit Tigers will have a member of their bullpen start the final game of their series with the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon.

The Tigers announced Thursday morning that Tyler Holton would get his second start of the series against the Guardians.

It'll be the fifth time that a member of the bullpen will get the nod to start a game this year. Holton has already made two starts this year, including earlier this series on Tuesday against the Guardians, and Beau Brieske and Alex Faedo are the other members of the bullpen to get a start.

Riding with a bullpen-only approach is something that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and his staff are pretty familiar with, especially after last year, when the Tigers' starting rotation was constantly in flux as 17 different pitchers started a game for the 2023 squad.

That number is significantly smaller this year, as only 10 pitchers have gotten a start this year, but as the Tigers deal with a rash of injuries to their rotation (Reese Olson and Casey Mize are both on the injured list and Jack Flaherty has been dealing with back pain that has caused him to miss multiple starts) the team has been putting a heavy load on their rotation.

So far in 2024 in bullpen-only games, the Tigers have had pretty mixed results. They have given up an average of 4.25 runs per game and have a 2-2 record in games where they have relied on the bullpen from start to finish. Holton has been the starting pitcher in both of the bullpen games the Tigers have lost, but wasn't given a decision in either contest and gave up just one run over the 3⅓ innings combined. Brieske, meanwhile, wasn't as successful individually, allowing three runs and four hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning, but the team eventually came back to win, 4-3. Last but not least is Faedo, who pitched two innings in his only start of the season, giving up one hit and no runs or walks in a game the Tigers won, 5-3.

Now, Holton gets another chance to start and try to help the Tigers win for the first time in a game when he is first to take the mound.

After the Tigers finish up their bullpen affair with the Guardians on Thursday, they'll return to Comerica Park for their first home game in over 10 days as they take on the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers lineup vs Cleveland Guardians: Tyler Holton gets start in bullpen-only game