The Detroit Tigers received good news before a game against the Houston Astros.
Tigers Receive Good News Before Astros Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Detroit Tigers are pushing for the team’s first AL Central division title since 2014, entering Monday with an 8.5-game lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians.
The team made notable additions at the trade deadline to strengthen the pitching staff, acquiring Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals.
Finnegan has emerged as a reliable closing option for Detroit, allowing no runs over seven appearances while collecting four saves. His 0.00 ERA, 0.39 WHIP, and .083 batting average against since joining the Tigers rank among the best in baseball.
One of Detroit’s closing options from 2023–24, Alex Lange, has yet to make his 2025 season debut as he recovered from a right lat tendon tear suffered on June 14, 2024 while pitching for the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
Alex Lange Rejoins Tigers Bullpen
Since then, Lange has spent the past two months rehabbing to get back up to speed for a return to the big-league roster.
On Monday, ahead of a game against the Houston Astros, Detroit officially welcomed Lange back to the active roster, with Bailey Horn being optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
"Alex Lange has been activated from the injured list, joining the #Tigers. Bailey Horn optioned to Triple-A Toledo," wrote Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press.
Alex Lange has been activated from the injured list, joining the #Tigers. Bailey Horn optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 18, 2025
Lange's 2025 Arrival Aids Pitching Rotation
The Tigers have had multiple starting pitchers unavailable due to injury this season—including Reese Olson, Alex Cobb, and Jackson Jobe—forcing the team to rely heavily on the bullpen due to a lack of healthy starting arms.
Adding Lange to the mix will increase the depth and stability of the staff, as the 28-year-old reliever will help absorb some of the workload.
With Detroit taking a leap this year after surprising the baseball world in 2024, having reliable bullpen options behind ace Tarik Skubal and frontline starters Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize will be crucial.
Lange has posted a career ERA of 3.72 and has collected 221 strikeouts in 183.2 innings of work.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
