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Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling to miss Opening Day with right shoulder injury
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DUNEDIN, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder/third baseman Matt Vierling won’t make the Opening Day roster.
The 28-year-old has been diagnosed with a strained rotator cuff muscle in his right shoulder. The right shoulder injury calls for roughly three weeks of rest before being re-evaluated for baseball activities, so Vierling will miss the start of the 2025 season.
The Opening Day game for the Tigers is scheduled for March 27 — less than four weeks away — against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
“Given the timeline, he’s not going to be available for Opening Day,” manager A.J. Hinch said Friday morning. “The doctors have told us that he needs a period of rest, which is going to impact Opening Day. I don’t know anything more after that on how long. We’ll know more in a few weeks.”
In 2024, Vierling hit .257 with 16 home runs, 41 walks and 121 strikeouts across 144 games. He logged 401 innings in center field, 369⅓ innings at third base, 247 innings in right field and 91 innings in left field, plus two innings at first base. He made 50 of his 125 starts in the leadoff spot, along with 40 starts batting third.
Vierling is a leader in the Tigers’ clubhouse and will be missed in the lineup.
This story will be updated.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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