Matt Vierling calms Tigers fans' nerves regarding concerning shoulder injury

Emma Lingan

Division Series - Detroit Tigers v Cleveland Guardians - Game 5 / Jason Miller/GettyImages

Matt Vierling knew there was some uncertainty as to where he would fit on the Detroit Tigers' 2025 Opening Day roster, whether it was at third base or at one of the three outfield positions. Where he did not expect to start the season, however, was on the injured list.

After experiencing discomfort during early spring training workouts, Vierling was diagnosed with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. He will be shut down for three weeks before being re-evaluated for baseball activities, requiring him to open the season on the 10-day IL and rendering him ineligible to play in MLB games until April 6 at the earliest.

In the best-case scenario, Vierling would miss less than a month at the beginning of the 2025 season. For now, though, there is no timetable for his return.

Matt Vierling calms Tigers fans' nerves regarding concerning shoulder injury

No one was more disappointed by the injury news than Vierling himself, but he is trying to focus on the positives as he embarks on his rehabilitation process.

"It could've been way worse," Vierling said (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). "I'm feeling grateful that it's not torn, and I'm feeling grateful that it's March 1. I feel lucky that this happened now versus in May. I'm going to be back. I'm happy that it happened now, and I'm happy that it's not worse."

Vierling, who has been able to stay relatively healthy throughout his career, said he was "fishing for reasons" as far as what could have caused his injury. However, he told Petzold it was likely something that built up over time.

"I'm telling you guys, it could've been way worse, and it could've happened in the middle of the year," Vierling said. "If we're going to take any positives from this, I'm in a good spot knowing that I'm going to be back, and it's not going to hinder — at least right now — too much of the season. We'll be good. I'm feeling pretty positive about all of that. I'm feeling grateful that it wasn't worse."

According to Petzold, the Tigers won't provide a timetable for Vierling's return until they put him through the full battery of tests again at the end of his three-week rest period. Hopefully, his positive attitude will aid in his speedy recovery because the Tigers greatly need his versatility this year.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.