Tigers’ Alex Lange Takes the Mound 368 Days After Lat Surgery
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — After an arduous recovery, Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Lange returned to pitching on Tuesday, making his first official mound appearance since undergoing right lat surgery 368 days ago.
Lange, who required surgery on June 18, 2024 to repair an avulsion of his right lat, spent nearly a year undergoing a meticulous rehab process. He was shut down earlier this April due to upper‑arm inflammation, but has since steadily built back his arm strength
On Tuesday, pitching for the High‑A West Michigan Whitecaps, Lange threw a clean inning. He induced two groundouts and struck out one batter, helping to stabilize the beginning of the game — despite the team’s eventual 10–2 loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Key Details:
- Rehab assignment: Lange will spend several weeks in West Michigan before progressing .
- Last MLB action: 21 relief appearances in 2024, with a 4.34 ERA before injury ended his season
- Previous success: Posted 26 saves in 2023, including pitching in a combined no‑hitter .
What This Means for Detroit:
With a dominant curveball and power sinker, Lange was a pivotal late‑innings arm last season. His return adds significant depth to the Tigers’ bullpen, which was stretched thin after Gregory Soto was traded to Philadelphia. If Lange can maintain control—something which hampered him in 2023 and led to a mid‑season Triple‑A demotion—he could regain a high-leverage role as the season heats up
Next Steps:
Lange will ramp up with additional relief outings in the minors before returning to Detroit. The burn time on rehabilitative arms is gradual, but the Tigers are hopeful he’ll be back in major-league action by mid-July, assuming continued smooth progress.
Bottom line: After 368 days off the mound, Alex Lange is officially back. A clean inning in the minor leagues is a promising first step toward reclaiming his role as a late-inning weapon for the Tigers.
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