The Detroit Tigers won't commit to a definite plan, but manager A.J. Hinch hopes right-hander Reese Olson will return from the injured list in next week's series against the Kansas City Royals.

The series begins Monday at Kauffman Stadium.

Olson hasn't pitched for the Tigers since July 20.

"Everything is going fine," Hinch said before Saturday's game. "We don't really have to fully commit, so I'm doing my best to not fully commit, but I'm sure hoping that he pitches in the Kansas City series."

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Olson, who is returning from a right shoulder strain, completed two starts on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo, throwing 45 pitches across three innings in his second start. After that, Olson completed a pre-start bullpen session Thursday.

He appears lined up to pitch Monday.

"I feel good," Olson said Saturday afternoon. "Whatever happens, I feel solid. I feel ready to go."

Earlier in the week, Olson shared his excitement to pitch for the Tigers after nearly two months on the injured list.

When he got hurt, the Tigers were five games out of the final American League wild-card spot. Entering Saturday, the Tigers are just 2½ games back in the race with 14 games remaining.

"We're in a great stretch right now," Olson said Wednesday. "We have a chance to make the playoffs. I want to get back as soon as possible and help us make the playoffs."

In 2024, Olson has a 3.23 ERA with 31 walks and 92 strikeouts across 103 innings in 19 starts. The 25-year-old threw five scoreless innings with two walks and six strikeouts in his two-game rehab assignment.

If he pitches Monday, his workload is expected to be limited in pitch count and innings.

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Defense on Gunnar Henderson's hit

The Tigers took a no-hitter into the ninth inning of Friday's 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park, but with two outs, Gunnar Henderson ripped a first-pitch sweeper from left-handed reliever Tyler Holton down the first-base line and into the right-field corner.

The triple broke up the no-hit bid.

First baseman Spencer Torkelson dove toward the foul line, but the hard-hit grounder snuck past him while staying inside the bag. On the play, Torkelson wasn't positioned close to the line in an attempt to limit extra-base hits.

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Hinch explained.

"He was playing exactly where he should," Hinch said. "You can't cover both the line and (between first and second base). There's always the question of whether you defend the play that happens the least but offers the most danger, or the play that happens the most, specifically on pitches that we're going to attack them with. When you're right, it's great. When you're not, you have to make more pitches after that."

Essentially, Tigers weren't preparing for Henderson — a left-handed hitter — to pull the ball, especially not with Holton trying to throw a down-and-away sweeper, which was supposed to get Henderson to roll over between first and second base.

But the sweeper was located middle-down instead of down-and-away, allowing Henderson to smoke it down the line.

For the first time since 1929

Right-hander Beau Brieske — the opener Friday and Saturday against the Orioles — became the first Tigers pitcher to start back-to-back games on back-to-back days since right-hander George Uhle in August 1929.

Hall of Fame left-hander Hal Newhouser, by the way, started back-to-back days in September 1945, but the first start was the first game of a doubleheader, so he didn't start back-to-back games.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers Reese Olson could return vs Kansas City Royals next week