Tigers Injury Updates: Reese Olson uncertainty, Will Vest progress, Kerry Carpenter

Tigers starter Reese Olson's stuff just got better and better from his debut in 2023 to the last time we saw him on the mound in late July 2025, but he may be one of those guys who are cursed with breakability and may never pitch a full season.

Much like Tyler Glasnow, who tends to keep his ERA in the low-3.00s but has never pitched more than 134 innings in a year, Olson has dealt with everything from a shoulder strain to finger inflammation to more shoulder strain since he debuted. He underwent surgery on his right shoulder in February 2026, and we haven't heard much about his progress since then.

Scott Harris dropped a ton of updates on the Tigers' many injured players during GM Meetings. Of Olson, he said he's "optimistic" that he'll be ready to go by spring training — whenever that is — but that Olson's progression since the surgery has been start-and-stop.

"I saw video of him, I think, it was like two days ago. He looks great," Harris said. "He's getting through his throwing program right now. The surgery he went through was really difficult.

"There was a lot of like stops and starts with that. But he's been working really hard through his rehab."

Will Vest recovering well after two separate surgeries

Part of what made the Tigers' season so frustrating in terms of injuries was their back-and-forth on Will Vest's status. He went onto the IL with forearm inflammation in May, and then again with posterior right elbow inflammation in June. He didn't make it back to the majors during the 2026 season.

The Tigers initially tried to quiet fears, insisting that Vest wouldn't need surgery. Not long after, he was consulting with Dr. Keith Meister in Texas, and then undergoing not just one but two procedures to address a stress fracture in his elbow and a hip issue that was previously undisclosed.

But Harris said of Vest, "He looks good. He's getting after it, as if that was ever going to be a question. Can't really sit still. But he looks good, he feels good." He's also expected to be ready for spring training.

Kerry Carpenter is healthy, but in for a "big winter"

Plantar fasciitis limited Carpenter to 81 games in 2026. He's another player who always seems on the verge of breaking, having averaged around 89 games per season since 2022. Some of that is AJ Hinch's hesitance to use him in a full-time role, but health has also played a role.

Carpenter, too, should be ready to go by spring, but the Tigers are going to need to see some considerable steps forward. "It's a big winter for Kerry," Harris said. "We've just got to get a healthier version of him, and we've got to make sure he has a really good winter."

Unless he's traded (and he probably won't be), he'll get a shot to both stay healthy and establish himself as worthy of a full-time role next season, but Zyhir Hope is also knocking on the door.

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