Framber Valdez had a rough outing against the Red Sox on Tuesday. He got slammed for 10 runs, including 7 ERs, in the first four innings, and expectedly couldn’t keep his emotions in control. However, the action he took to vent out his frustrations was so evident and obvious that even the Tigers’ manager, A.J. Hinch, couldn’t defend his pitcher.
As benches were cleared on Tuesday, Hinch stayed honest about Valdez’s action.
“We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn’t feel like it,” Hinch said. “It’s not judging intent; I have no idea. But I know when you go out on the field, and you end up sort of in those confrontations, you usually feel like you’re in your right. And it didn’t feel good being out there.”
Bench-clearing incidents are common in MLB, but what is not common is to see a manager not taking the side of their men after an incident.
Valdez started the game for the Tigers and straightaway gave 3 runs in the first, followed by another 5 runs in the third. Still, the worst was about to come. The Red Sox’s Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu scored consecutive homers off Valdez, which might have caused his frustrations to hit the boiling point. Trevor Story entered the plate and was welcomed with a 94 mph fastball that hit his left shoulder.
AJ Hinch doesn’t feel comfortable defending Framber Valdez, who denies hitting Trevor Story on purpose pic.twitter.com/exi2U3uGs7
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 6, 2026
Routine case of HBP, but check the angle of the pitch, and it was nowhere near the strike zone. That only made it obvious for Story to take a shot at Valdez. Story was seen exchanging words with Valdez, only to be stopped by the Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler and the home plate umpire.
And just as Story and Valdez were exchanging words, benches cleared from both dugouts, and Comerica Park was about to witness a physical bout. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, and the field was cleared after a few minutes. The Red Sox broadcasters, although they didn’t hide their frustrations.
“You can’t get them out, so you throw at them, what a joke. The one guy who caused it is hiding in the back,” they said. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t cross up his catcher now because he is mad,” the Red Sox booth added.
The Red Sox’s booth hinted at Valdez’s same act last year when he was with the Astros. Last year, Valdez hit Astros catcher Cesar Salazar in the chest with a 93 mph sinker during a loss to the Yankees. The incident occurred after Valdez ignored Salazar’s request to step off the mound, leading to a grand slam. This caused speculation that the throw was an intentional act of frustration.
That could be a reason for Hinch not siding with Valdez this time. “It might look like it was on purpose, but it wasn’t,” Valdez said after the game.
We wonder if that would apply to MLB to decide his penalty. While Valdez was ejected from the game, a risk of suspension is there. “I have no idea,” Hinch said.
The Tigers lost the game on Tuesday by 3-10. If Valdez gets suspended, their woes will only get amplified.
The Tigers can’t afford to lose Framber Valdez now
The Tigers’ pitching staff is already battered with injuries. Tarik Skubal is out for next few months due to surgery on the loose bodies in his pitching elbow. Casey Mize is out for 15 days due to right adductor strain. Justin Varlender is in a 15-day IL with left hip inflammation. So, half of the Tigers’ starting rotation is already out with injury.
If Framber Valdez is suspended, the Tigers are left with just Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero as active, healthy starting pitchers. Moreover, the Tigers just deployed back-to-back bullpen games because of rotation gaps. Losing Valdez forces them to rely on even more emergency bullpen games, risking catastrophic burnout for the remaining relievers.
Even bullpen names like Will Vest and Troy Melton are out with injuries. The team is currently ranked 11th in terms of ERA (3.93), and losing Valdez means they are all now exposed to the rival offenses. However, considering how the act on Tuesday looked obvious, and even his manager didn’t stand with him, we wonder if the home plate umpire would stand by Valdez in his report.
Let’s now see how the Tigers manage this situation in and out.
