Detroit Tigers: Manning twirls a scoreless outing for Mud Hens

The Detroit Tigers hope to Matt Manning back soon following a scoreless outing for Toledo Wednesday night

Over 85 pitches and 5 2/3 innings, Detroit Tigers starter Matt Manning helped the Toledo Mud Hens shut out the Indianapolis Indians 3-0 on Wednesday night. The effort marks Manning’s third rehab start and his second for Toledo on his way back from right shoulder inflammation.

Manning’s first inning was shaky; he allowed a leadoff single, a loud out to deep right field, and a wild pitch to advance a runner. He’d bounce back, though, striking out the next two batters with fastballs to escape the jam.

Throughout the night, Manning utilized his fastball in the upper quadrants of the zone to generate swings and misses and get some called strikes. Velocities and Statcast data were unavailable as part of the contest, although the broadcast team communicated satisfaction with the stadium readings. His curveball was his primary secondary pitch, but he also mixed in a fair amount of sliders in and out of the strike zone to keep hitters off balance.

The outing likely marks the final start of Manning’s rehab, with his next start coming in five days when the Tigers are in Minneapolis to take on the Twins.

The road to return has had some bumps for Manning and the Tigers. He began a rehab assignment on May 8th to return from the same injury, but his fourth outing lasted just 1.2 innings. The reasoning was initially labeled as dehydration, but after some probing by the organization, Manning admitted discomfort and would be sidelined all of June.

Manning has not pitched for the Detroit Tigers since April 16th and has made just two starts on the year; although his second start lasted just two innings. Across his brief pro season, he holds a 2.25 ERA over 8 innings, striking out 4 with no walks.