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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 04: Gleyber Torres #25 of the Detroit Tigers watches his solo home run in the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park on April 04, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Detroit Tigers saw Gleyber Torres go down in their 9-3 win over the Houston Astros. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported that Torres left the game after swinging at a Kai-Wei Teng fastball in the second inning.

Watching the video of the injury, it appears that Torres suffered a potential left side injury. Following the swing, the Tigers’ second baseman hunched over and grabbed his left side. He left the game after being visited by manager A.J. Hinch and the training staff.

Torres, 29, is in his second year with the Detroit Tigers. In the 2026 season, he is slashing .280/.395/.395 with four home runs and a 127 wRC+. He’s been a staple at the top of their order, batting no lower than third in his 43 starts. Torres has formed a nice 1-2 punch at the top of their lineup with American League Rookie of the Year favorite Kevin McGonigle.

In addition to the strong bat, he was on track to post his best defensive season at second base. He currently grades out at +7 Defensive Runs Saved and +2 Statcast Fielding Run Value.

Gleyber Torres Suffers Left Side Injury in Win Over Astros

Gleyber Torres already missed 28 games earlier in the season with an oblique injury. Considering the duration of his absence, the first strain was likely a Grade 1. It’s unclear if this is a different injury or a reaggravation of the previous one.

After the game, manager A.J. Hinch told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News that they have no new information on Torres. The Tigers second baseman will undergo further testing.

Torres’ first stint on the injured list came right around the time that Tarik Skubal was sidelined. While Skubal’s injury got more headlines, the Tigers missed their second baseman just as much.

With Torres out of the lineup, the Tigers hit just .205 with a .619 OPS. Their 73 wRC+ between May 3 and June 1 was the lowest in MLB. Over that stretch, they went 7-21. It would only take 11 games for them to win as many games.

The Tigers now could potentially face a similar problem, having to replace an All-Star caliber second baseman again. In his first 10 games back from the first oblique injury, he was hitting .350 with a 1.022 OPS in 10 games.

What Gleyber Torres’ Injury Means for the Tigers

Without knowing the type of strain, there isn’t a timeline. If it’s a Grade 1 strain like the previous one, it’s about a four-week absence. That would put his return to the All-Star break. If it’s any longer, it could drastically affect their deadline plans.

The Tigers are 30-42 and looking more like sellers. Since Detroit went 7-21 without him the first time, it’s hard to imagine them avoiding a similar slide.

As an impending free agent, Detroit could move Torres at the deadline. They cannot extend a qualifying offer to the 29-year-old after he accepted it last winter.

However, the trade deadline is still at least seven weeks away. They’ll have to figure out what to do between now and when Torres returns to the lineup.

Their answer may come from what the team did during Torres’ last injured list stint. Hao-Yu Lee got the most opportunities, with utility infielder Zach McKinstry filling in.

Lee figures to get the bulk of the action at second base. The 23-year-old entered the season as the club’s No. 6 prospect ahead of his MLB debut. In his first 34 games, he’s slashing .225/.258/.348 over 93 plate appearances. That comes after a two-hit performance against the Astros off the bench.