Detroit Tigers reliever Will Vest gave up three unearned runs in the eighth inning before exiting the game with a trainer during the Cincinnati Reds’ 8-4 victory at Comerica Park on Sunday, June 15.
According to Tigers manager AJ Hinch, Vest said a feeling in his pinky was bothering him but that he had “no idea” what the extent of the injury was.
“We’re going to evaluate, obviously,” Hinch said. “He’ll run through the battery of tests.”
Vest entered the game in the eighth inning after TJ Friedl reached on Brant Hurter’s error. He then gave up consecutive singles to Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz, scoring Friedl and cutting the Tigers lead to one run.
A strikeout, a Zach McKinstry bobbled play, a sac fly and a Gavin Lux go-ahead single gave the Reds a 5-4 lead, with a wild pitch from Vest making it 6-4 before Vest’s exit.
Through a team representative, Vest said he wanted to better understand the injury before speaking to the media about it.
Hinch said he intended to use Vest to get out of the eighth inning with the heart of the Reds order up to bat.
“Where we were in the batting order, (we were) trying to end the inning with the lead, putting one of our back-end guys in there to try to stop it,” he said.
