Possible Framber Valdez suspension when Tigers need him most already makes contract regrettable

There's a lot to unpack from Tuesday night.

The Red Sox had already started teeing off of interim Tigers ace Framber Valdez before the top of the fourth, but back-to-back homers from Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu got Boston to double digits and evidently sent Valdez over the edge.

He nailed Trevor Story on the back with a 94.4 MPH fastball — the first fastball Valdez has thrown all season — and the benches cleared.

Of course, everyone had to something to say after the game. Valdez insisted it wasn't intentional, but given his track record, no one (except, apparently, Andy Dirks) bought it. Red Sox broadcaster Will Middlebrooks said, "Let's just hope he doesn't cross-up his catcher now that he's mad."

It was a reference to a 2025 incident between Valdez and Astros catcher César Salazar, when Valdez nailed his catcher in the chest after giving up a grand slam. Valdez insisted that wasn't intentional either, but it looked intentional enough that it almost certainly hurt Valdez's free agency.

The Tigers' pitching staff is hurting desperately right now; they've lost three of the five starters on their Opening Day roster to the IL. There was supposed to be some reassurance that the Tigers have Valdez, an ace in his own right, but now they might lose him for a time, too.

Buster Olney speculated that he could face a seven-game suspension for his role in the incident, which is exactly what the Tigers don't need right now.

Framber Valdez facing suspension after HBP incident with Trevor Story in Tigers-Red Sox

Valdez was ejected by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna. He said after the game, "I (think) that it’s completely unfair. First of all, they should have given me a warning. … [...] As you can see on the video, I was not even feisty. I was not even angry against them, neither the umpire, nor the team. But again, I considered that a very unfair situation that shouldn't happen. They should have given me a warning."

The Tigers bullpen held the fort — at least, they didn't make anything worse. Brenan Hanifee, Burch Smith, and Enmanuel De Jesus pitched six scoreless innings. The Tigers offense, meanwhile, could only muster up one more run.

If Olney's guess of a seven-game suspension is correct, it would certainly feel excessive but maybe not totally unwarranted given Valdez's history. No doubt he'll appeal if the powers that be decide to discipline him, but it might fall on deaf ears.

Valdez was supposed to step up in Tarik Skubal's absence and live up to his contract — the largest by AAV for a left-handed starter. Instead, he's risked putting the Tigers in an even worse position than the one they were already mired in.

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