Detroit Tigers parting ways with Kyle Funkhouser after injury trouble

Detroit Tigers opt to part ways with Kyle Funkhouser.

It's been a busy week for the Detroit Tigers, and as they continue to shape up their roster, there has been an influx of moves, with players both coming and going. Reliever Kyle Funkhouser was one of the most recent casualties of the roster purge.

It's not that the Detroit Tigers changing things up is that crazy since a roster purge was expected. Changes were coming, and the Tigers have continued shifting things around to change the direction of the organization.

Funkhouser was outrighted to Toledo and designated for assignment as the team cleared out the 40-man roster and made a few additions to the roster on the prospect side of things. The Tigers' new group in the front office felt that Funkhouser was no longer bringing benefit to the team's bullpen.

There was an injury update from the Tigers regarding players who ended the season with injuries about a week ago, and the Funkhouser portion of the update was not an idea. He was listed as still in the pre-throwing phase of the program.

Per the update linked above, Funkhouser was still working on his shoulder range of motion and also strength & scap control. However, he was not back on the mound and unable to begin throwing again after being originally placed on the Injured List (IL) during Spring Training.

It was initially deemed lat soreness and continued to be problematic for the right-handed pitcher. He has not thrown in a game since the 2021 season ended and has yet to get back on the mound. The expectation was that he would be on the roster bubble, and the time finally came.

The unfortunate part of this move is that Funkhouser may very likely be poached by another organization before he makes it to Triple-A Toledo. The right-handed pitcher was exceptional before the injury issues claimed this season from him.

In 2021, Funkhouser appeared in 57 games, totaling 68.1 innings pitched. He pitched to a 3.42 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP and was able to be a reliable option out of the Tigers bullpen. Things spiraled downhill, and the result is Funkhouser's time in Detroit coming to an end.

For the Tigers, it's just another move as the Harris version of the Tigers continues to get constructed. The change was expected, and Funkhouser's slow progression on his recovery is likely the main reason for this decision to part ways from the right-handed relief pitcher.