"It's better to be an outcast" - Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty takes it to social media to vent amid looming trade deadline & injury woes

Not everything has gone as planned for Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty in 2024. Despite starting strong this season, Flaherty has been limited in his starts and might now be looking to get moved before the trade deadline on July 30.

Flaherty complained of lower back tightness after his start at the Globe Life Field on June 4. Since then, he has made three more starts, but at the cost of taking pain-relieving injections for his back pain.

Injury woes amid the fast-approaching trade deadline have evidently taken their toll on the 28-year-old pitcher, who shared some thoughts via a story and a post on his Instagram account.

"It’s better to be an outcast"

"You can't f*ck up anything that is meant for you, so stop being so scared of what will happen. Trust your intuition and let your heart and soul guide you on this journey. I promise you, you can not mess anything up that is not meant for you," Flaherty wrote on his story.

Screenshot from Jack Flaherty's story on Instagram

Flaherty missed his scheduled start against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Instead of traveling with the team to Minneapolis, he went to Los Angeles to receive his second injection on July 2. He received the first one from the same doctor on June 10. The Tigers have not yet placed Flaherty on the injured list.

After signing a one-year, $14 million deal with the Detroit Tigers this past offseason, Jack Flaherty has gone 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.00 for the team this season.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch on Jack Flaherty's situation

When asked by the Detroit Free Press about Flaherty's second injection on his back, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch downplayed the seriousness of the pitcher's pain-killing shot.

"That's pretty normal. It's similar to what happened last year, where the shot that he needed, sometimes they take, sometimes they don't. He still was feeling a little bit off, so another injection was warranted," Hinch said.

Furthermore, manager A.J. Hinch reflected on the decision of not placing Jack Flaherty on the IL, as he said:

"We haven't talked like that. The doctors have told us that we could do it by skipping a start and getting him back in the rotation next week. Skipping a start allows for the medicine to kick in and get him feeling better."

If healthy, Flaherty could make his next start for the Tigers in the series opener against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.