The market clearly believes Valdez can stabilize this thing. Detroit is the home favorite and the public is piling on the Tigers side, but the EV columns aren't selling either ticket. With a Boston piggyback start and a banged-up Detroit lineup, the total at 8 might be where the real action is.
Speaking of banged-up — A.J. Hinch's injury list is starting to read like a roster page. Skubal, Verlander, Mize, Jobe all on the shelf in the rotation. Javier Baez out with an ankle. Gleyber Torres unavailable to even pinch hit Monday with a side issue. Zach McKinstry could come back tonight, which would at least put a real second baseman in the lineup, but this team is duct-taping things together.
- Day-To-DayRanger Suarez (SP) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Friday that Suarez's (hamstring) next start will come next week "sometime in the Philly series," Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayHobie Harris (RP) — Harris was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — The Red Sox placed Anthony (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Tuesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILJustin Slaten (RP) — Slaten (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning for Double-A Portland on Sunday.05/08
- 15-Day-ILDanny Coulombe (RP) — The Red Sox placed Coulombe on the 15-day injured list Monday with cervical spasms.05/08
- 15-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (shoulder) was able to play catch Sunday for the first time since landing on the injured list Wednesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — Crawford has been diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow following an MRI, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
- OutBrendan Rodgers (2B) — Rodgers (shoulder) re-signed Friday with the Red Sox on a two-year, minor-league contract, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — The Red Sox transferred Casas (abdomen/knee) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRomy Gonzalez (1B) — The Red Sox placed Gonzalez (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) began a throwing program Monday with 25 throws from 45 feet, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILPatrick Sandoval (SP) — The Red Sox transferred Sandoval (biceps/elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will be reevaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in two weeks to determine his progress, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayGleyber Torres (2B) — Torres (side) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.05/05
- Day-To-DayMax Anderson (2B) — Anderson has gone 4-for-7 with two home runs, two walks and one stolen base over three rehab games for Single-A Lakeland since Triple-A Toledo placed him on its 7-day injured list April 5 due to an unspecified injury.05/05
- Day-To-DayJosue Briceno (C) — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.05/01
- 10-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS) — The Tigers placed Baez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.04/29
- 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal (SP) — Skubal has been scratched from his scheduled start Monday against the Red Sox due to an undisclosed injury, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.05/04
- 15-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP) — Verlander (hip) threw a bullpen session Sunday at close to full intensity, MLB.com reports.05/04
- 15-Day-ILWill Vest (RP) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Vest is "not at 100 percent" physically, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.05/02
- 15-Day-ILCasey Mize (SP) — Mize was removed from Tuesday's game against Atlanta with an apparent injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.04/29
- 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold (RP) — Detroit moved Seabold to the 15-day IL on Sunday due to left ankle inflammation, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.04/26
- 60-Day-ILBeau Brieske (RP) — Brieske (adductor) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.05/05
- 60-Day-ILTroy Melton (RP) — Melton (elbow) yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks while striking out two batters over 1.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A Lakeland.05/04
- 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP) — Jobe (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.04/28
- 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP) — The Tigers transferred Horn (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.04/22
- 60-Day-ILParker Meadows (CF) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Meadows underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a left radius fracture and will be sidelined "multiple months," Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.04/14
- 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS) — The Tigers transferred Sweeney (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.04/11
Detroit sits at 18-18 and 3-2 over its last 5, which is the kind of mediocre that gets exposed quickly when your Cy Young winner walks off mid-inning rubbing his elbow. The Red Sox don't need to do anything fancy here — get to Valdez early, let the bullpen-by-committee survive 5 or 6, and they put a stranglehold on the series with a getaway day still to come.
Pick a side at your own risk. Valdez at home with the rotation collapsing around him is a guy who pitches with something to prove. But this Tigers offense without Baez, Torres and Meadows is a tough ask against any pitching plan, even one that involves Brayan Bello in the middle innings.