Tigers lose 2024 closer to season-ending surgery after high-profile demotion

Former Tigers closer Jason Foley's 2025 season has gone from bad to worse in a hurry. During spring training, the Tigers demoted him to Triple-A after posting a 6.14 ERA in camp, and on Tuesday afternoon AJ Hinch told media that he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery after being placed on the Mud Hens' 7-day IL with a shoulder strain in mid-April.

Foley didn't take his demotion all that well, saying that he was blindsided by the move: "I would have thought that maybe the past three years of what I consider to be pretty darn good big-league pitching would have outweighed a moderately shaky spring. But in their eyes, it didn't, and in their eyes, I wasn't one of the best eight options to take in the bullpen. That's OK."

Sounds kind of like "that's OK" was a little tacked on, but Foley went to Triple-A and made his case on the field. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and only gave up one hit before he went onto the IL. It's unclear what kind of surgery he underwent or when, but we won't be seeing him on the mound again at all this year.

Tigers reveal season-ending shoulder surgery for 2024 closer Jason Foley

Hinch was always hesitant to name an official closer last season, especially as the Tigers were in full pitching chaos mode toward the end of the year. However, Foley finished 41 games for Detroit (up from 18 the previous year) for a 3.15 ERA and was credited with 28 saves, which was tied for the ninth-most in baseball.

He had a couple shaky appearances in September, including one against the Orioles when he gave up two runs without inducing an out before being pulled, and he only got the ball for 1/3 of an inning during the postseason, when he gave up three hits and one run to the Astros in the bottom of the ninth of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Veteran Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest have moved into Foley's role as the Tigers' closers, with five and four saves this year respectively. Brant Hurter has also gotten the ball in that role twice and has yet to blow a save opportunity.

Given the way Foley was pitching in Triple-A, he might've been able to make a case for a promotion if he'd stayed healthy, and that makes this one hurt even more.