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Tigers’ pitcher Reese Olson opened up on his decision to undergo season-ending surgery to fix a shoulder injury
The Detroit Tigers have had questions surrounding Tarik Skubal‘s future with the team hover over the team all offseason long, but for the time being, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the 2026 team. With Skubal leading a starting rotation that also features recent free agent signings Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, the Tigers appear poised to make another deep playoff run this season.
The signings of Valdez and Verlander, though, became necessary after it was recently revealed that Reese Olson would be undergoing season-ending surgery to fix a shoulder injury. The loss of Olson will certainly hurt Detroit, and he recently took a second to pull back the curtain on his injury situation after receiving this devastating news.
Reese Olson Opens Up on Injury Situation
Olson has spent the past few years turning himself into a key piece of the Tigers’ pitching staff after working his way up the minor league system. And yet, while Olson has shown promise, staying healthy has been the biggest issue for him early on in the first three years of his professional career.
In 2025, Olson posted some strong numbers over 13 starts, as he had a 3.15 ERA and 65 strikeouts. The problem, of course, was the number of starts he made. Olson dealt with finger and shoulder injuries throughout the year, with a right shoulder strain he suffered eventually leading to his season coming to a premature end.
As it turns out, that shoulder injury will continue to prove to be an issue for Olson moving forward. With news coming out revealing that Olson’s season was already over, he revealed that he reinjured his shoulder in October, but rather than immediately undergoing surgery, he tried to rehab the injury on his own. His efforts didn’t work, though, and he finally bit the bullet and decided to go under the knife.
“Talked to Reese Olson today. He explained that he reinjured the shoulder in October. He tried rehabbing for three months, knowing that even if he had surgery in Oct., he’d still miss all of 2026. Had nothing to lose by trying to rehab. Pain didn’t subside,” Chris McCosky of The Detroit News wrote in a post X.
Tigers Hoping Reese Olson Can Return Stronger Than Ever in 2027
GettyReese Olson delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the top of the first inning at Comerica Park on April 05, 2025.
Detroit had big plans for Olson in 2026, so losing him before he can even take the mound is a tough pill to swallow. In theory, though, it helps explain the team’s decision to sign both Valdez and Verlander, but it’s clear that beyond this season, the Tigers are hoping Olson can return and be better than ever before.
For the time being, the team has to move on with Olson. While they can absorb his loss now, Skubal’s uncertain future and Verlander’s age make it very important that he returns to the mound at some point in 2027. With Spring Training getting underway, it will be interesting to see how Detroit’s starting rotation for the 2026 campaign ends up shaking out now that Olson is no longer in the picture.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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