DETROIT >> The temptation is to keep holding your breath, to remain skeptical. With pitcher injuries, can you ever be totally certain, one way or another?

But the Tigers on Monday got the best news possible regarding late-inning reliever Will Vest. Tests revealed no structure damage or nerve damage in his right arm.

He will not need a stint on the injured list.

“I don’t know what it was other than I was glad to get the news on the off day that everything checked out and he can be day to day,” manager AJ Hinch said before the game Tuesday. “It’s a good sign. He came in yesterday, got treatment, did a little rehab stuff and today felt pretty good about it.”Vest came out of the game in the eighth inning Sunday after feeling a tingling sensation in his ring and pinky fingers.

“We will go day to day and see what he can do for us,” Hinch said. “But I’m very thankful that it sounds like we’ve avoided anything more major.”

Vest described it as a “zing” in his fingers, a loss of feeling. It scared him at first, simply because it was a feeling he’d never experienced on the baseball field before.

“I wasn’t too nervous,” he said. “Like, when you say worst-case scenario, that’s like a UCL and I’ve had that before. I wasn’t nervous about that. It was just something different that I hadn’t dealt with before. It was weird.”

Often tingling in the fingers is caused by inflammation in the tendons. The Tigers didn’t say what caused the tingling, only that it was temporary and the tests came back clean.

“There is a difference between being sore and being hurt,” Vest said. “As a pitcher you learn to pitch through soreness. Very rarely do you feel 100% every time you are out there. But when it’s something different that you hadn’t dealt with in the past, something new, it can alarm you a little bit.”

Vest said he felt he was ready to pitch if needed Tuesday, though Hinch didn’t seem inclined to rush him back into the fray.

“I came in, got treatment, tossed a little bit and felt good,” he said. “I should be back to normal.”

A reclamation project

The Tigers didn’t look at the inflated (5.26) ERA or any part of the ugly stat lines that led first Kansas City and most recently Philadelphia to essentially give up on him.

In right-hander Carlos Hernandez, whom they claimed off waivers from the Phillies Monday, the Tigers see potential. They see a power arm with a couple plus secondary pitches that they can develop into a productive reliever, even at age 28.

“We are happy to get him and take a shot at untapping a lot of what he does well,” Hinch said. “He’s got a power fastball and pretty good secondary pitches. He’s had a hard time maintaining consistency which has made him available.

“But we’re really intrigued by what he brings to the table.”

His four-seam fastball averages 97.8 mph and, at 6-foot-4, he throws it with an arm extension of 6 feet, 9 inches. Still, opponents are hitting .316 against it with an expected slugging percentage of .507.

His slider is generating a 35.6% whiff rate. He also has a knuckle-curve, splitter, sinker and sweeper in his toolkit. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers recommend that he shorten his arsenal and concentrate on just a couple of secondary pitches, especially if he pitches mostly in short relief.

“It’s key for me to keep working hard and stay in communication with the coaches,” Hernandez said through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “They are here to help us and push us to be the best we can be. I am looking forward to sitting down with them and listening to what they have to say to me.”

The Tigers optioned right-hander Tyler Owens back to Toledo to clear a spot of Hernandez.

Around the horn

Alex Lange (lat repair) was expected to return to the mound for the first time since June 14, 2024, making his first rehab start at High-A West Michigan.

“He’s been pretty eager,” Hinch said. “This is an injury where we were going to be pretty patient and that is not always easy for relievers in general, but certainly for someone with Alex’s mentality. He pushes the pedal to the floor. … If I know him, he’s going to give every single thing he has in this outing.”

… Jackson Jobe underwent reconstruction surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow Monday. The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. Keith Meister.

“The thing that has been really cool to see,” Hinch said, “is guys like Tarik (Skubal) and Casey (Mize) and the guys who have been through this were preparing him for what’s ahead. That kind of mentorship is priceless.”

… Matt Vierling was back with the Tigers on Tuesday, continuing his throwing program while the Mud Hens were playing at St. Paul. He is expected to return to his rehab assignment when the Mud Hens get home later in the week.