(Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images)

All hands are on deck and all options are on the table as the Detroit Tigers make their first visit to Cleveland on Friday night since their 2025 American League wild-card series.

The Tigers are 7 1/2 games behind the two-time defending AL Central Division champion Guardians and eight back of the first-place Chicago White Sox. Manager A.J. Hinch has made it clear this is a critical series for his club.

Detroit will send right-hander Jack Flaherty (1-7, 5.31 ERA) to the mound against Cleveland righty Tanner Bibee (1-7, 4.09) in the opener, then activate a pair of starters from the injured list for the next two games.

Two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal will pitch Saturday and Casey Mize gets the call Sunday. Neither was expected to be back in time to work against the Guardians, but somewhat desperate times changed plans.

'We want our best pitchers and our guys to pitch,' said Hinch, who may go with a six-man rotation. 'So that's the most logical way as it stands today, with the caveat of saying, just get me to that spot where we actually have all systems go.'

Despite being without Skubal (left elbow surgery) and Mize (right groin tightness), Detroit is playing its best ball and is 7-2 in June with 23 home runs.

Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene had two of the Tigers' six homers Thursday in an 11-0 rout of the visiting Minnesota Twins, clinching their third straight series win.

'We've been able to find consistency and have been on the barrel a lot,' said Detroit third baseman Colt Keith, who hit his first homer of the season in the easy win. 'We're getting a lot of good at-bats and passing the baton.'

Flaherty lost his first seven decisions and hasn't worked beyond the sixth inning in 14 starts in 2026. He went 0-3 against the Guardians last season and is 2-5 with a solid 2.51 ERA in 10 career appearances against them.

Cleveland had been atop the Central since April 29 until Wednesday, when the visiting New York Yankees completed a three-game series sweep.

It was the Guardians' sixth loss in seven games, a slump that followed back-to-back victories at the Yankees, and has seen them hit just .127 (7-for-55) with runners in scoring position.

'It's been a tough stretch, but we're right in there,' Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. 'We've had a lot of close losses that could have gone either way, so we're going to learn from it.'

Bibee snapped his extended winless drought by tossing eight scoreless innings on June 6 at the Texas Rangers. He had been winless in a franchise-record 13 starts to start the season, which included opening day at the Seattle Mariners, before breaking through.

The former ace-in-waiting has been brilliant in four starts against the Tigers since the beginning of 2025, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA over 27 innings. Bibee has faced Detroit a total of 10 times, posting a 4-3 record and 3.28 ERA.

'We're still in a really good spot,' Guardians catcher Austin Hedges said. 'We're going to enjoy the off day, and I think we're going to have a good series against the Tigers.'

--Field Level Media