The frustration is building for Jack Flaherty, and it is no longer something he can shake off once he leaves the mound.
After another uneven outing in the Detroit Tigers’ 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers, Flaherty made it clear just how much his recent struggles are weighing on him. The right-hander is searching for answers, and right now, they are not coming easily.
Jack Flaherty Struggles Center Around Command Issues
Flaherty’s biggest issue is not stuff. It is control.
Across his last three starts, the Tigers starter has battled stretches where he simply cannot find the strike zone. Those lapses have turned manageable innings into damaging ones, often in a matter of a few pitches.
“You just lose it for three hitters and it’s just like, agonizing, it’s frustrating,” Flaherty said via the Detroit News. “It probably pisses you off, because it’s — I’m losing sleep over it every single day, trying to figure out what goes on in that little bit right there where we end up walking three guys in a row.”
That exact scenario played out again Friday night. After giving up a home run in the third inning, Flaherty issued three straight walks, putting Detroit in a hole it could not climb out of.
A Costly Stretch Sinks Detroit
Flaherty’s final line told the story.
He lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out four. The Tigers battled back later in the game, but the early damage proved too much to overcome.
Manager A.J. Hinch did not sugarcoat what happened.
“He lost the zone,” Hinch said. “And it’s really obviously hard for him, hard for us.”
That stretch forced Detroit into damage control mode. While the Tigers limited the inning to three runs despite a bases loaded, no outs situation, it still shifted the game’s momentum.
Searching for Answers in Real Time
What makes this stretch even more frustrating for Flaherty is the lack of a clear explanation.
“Just giving guys free passes and walking guys, that’s where it gets frustrating, especially, you know, I, I mean, I’ve … a little while, like, I never walked guys like this in my career, so it’s just, it’s, it’s one of those things that is, like, is gonna be frustrating, to really figure it out.”
The problem is not constant. It comes in bursts, often over a span of 15 to 20 pitches that derail an otherwise solid outing.
“I don’t know if it’s about what’s going right, it’s about figuring out what’s going on in those 15 to 20 pitches,” Flaherty said. “That’s what AJ and I are talking about.”
Those brief lapses have added up quickly. Flaherty has now walked multiple batters in each of his seven starts this season, with six of those outings featuring three or more walks.
Tigers Staying Patient With Flaherty
Despite the struggles, the Tigers are not backing away from their veteran starter.
Hinch made it clear the organization still believes in Flaherty and expects him to work through these issues.
“So, we’re gonna keep searching and finding ways to challenge if he’s gonna get the ball again in 5 or 6 days or whatever, because we believe in him, we trust him,” Hinch said. “We need the adjustments because he wants to be better for us, and we obviously need him to be better for us.”
That support matters, but so does production. Detroit is now 0-3 in Flaherty’s last three starts, a stretch that has tested the team’s early season momentum.
What Comes Next for Detroit
The Tigers remain in the mix in the American League Central, but performances like Friday’s highlight how thin the margin can be.
If Detroit is going to stay in the race, it will need Flaherty to stabilize his command and rediscover the consistency that made him a key part of the rotation.
Right now, the issue is not effort or preparation.
It is execution in the moments that matter most.
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