Reese Olson reveals tough return timeline that won't really help Tigers in 2025

Reese Olson has already been ruled out for the remainder of the Detroit Tigers' regular season with a right shoulder strain. The Tigers are hopeful that he can return in time to help them in the postseason – though it comes with a catch.

If Olson returns for the playoffs, the Tigers won't use him as a full-time starter. He will likely be limited to a few innings per game, likely as an opener or as a more traditional reliever. Still, he wants to contribute if he can.

"Everyone here thinks that we're going to make a deep run, and we know we can," Olson said Sunday (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). "So I'm doing everything I can to give myself the best chance to play again this year."

Olson, who last pitched for the Tigers on July 24, has been playing catch every other day since Friday on flat ground at a maximum distance of 75 feet. Eventually, he will be scheduled to play catch every day. But the return-to-play progression takes more than four weeks — and therein lies the problem for the Tigers.

Reese Olson reveals tough return timeline that won't really help Tigers in 2025

If Olson started playing catch on Sept. 5, he likely wouldn't be able to return to the Tigers until the ALCS, or potentially even the World Series. The ALCS begins Oct. 12, five weeks after he began playing catch, and the World Series begins Oct. 24 (seven weeks).

In other words, the Tigers would have to make a pretty deep run in the postseason in order for Olson to have a chance to help them. But even if they do, it remains to be seen how effective he can be in a limited role upon his return.

Before suffering his shoulder injury, Olson pitched to a 3.15 ERA with 25 walks and 65 strikeouts across 68 2/3 innings in 13 starts. For his three-year MLB career, he owns a 3.60 ERA over 284 2/3 innings. But while his recovery progress is great for him personally, the unfortunate reality is that it probably won't move the needle much for the Tigers in the playoffs.

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