DETROIT -- Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, whose emergence as a front-line starter has been a critical driver behind Detroit¡¯s improvement over the past month, went on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with an injury to his left index finger, putting the Tigers¡¯ bounceback season and potentially this summer¡¯s trade market in flux.

Rodriguez, who is 4-4 with a 2.13 ERA and a 0.975 WHIP through 11 starts, suffered the injury on one of his final pitches on Sunday against the White Sox. An MRI exam and evaluations from multiple doctors revealed a ruptured A4 pulley, which helps hold the tendon to the bone around the tip of the finger. It¡¯s an injury more common in rock climbers and bowlers than pitchers, but the injury can affect pitchers as they release the ball off their fingertips. The best-known case in baseball is Randy Dobnak, who suffered a series of pulley ruptures that shortened his 2021 season and sidelined him for much of '22. One study last year said six Major League pitchers have had the injury; another put the typical timetable for return at six weeks.

Rodriguez will rest for seven to 10 days before being re-evaluated for a throwing program, according to the Tigers¡¯ injury report.

¡°It¡¯s always hard to lose one of your better players,¡± manager A.J. Hinch said on Tuesday afternoon after announcing the news. ¡°But it¡¯s one of five days. We continue to hope that it¡¯s a quick return, but it is what it is.¡±

Rodriguez is in the second season of a five-year, $77 million contract that he signed before the 2022 season. While the deal has three years and $49 million remaining after this year, it also has an opt-out clause that would allow Rodriguez to hit free agency in search of a larger contract in line with last offseason¡¯s big signings. That, along with his strong start to this season, has fueled speculation the Tigers could listen to trade offers rather than risk losing him as a free agent. But a longer-term injury would clearly impact that market.

While the Tigers have yet to announce plans for filling Rodriguez¡¯s rotation spot, the most likely option is right-hander Reese Olson, the team¡¯s No. 11 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. While Olson has a 2-3 record and a 6.38 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Toledo this season, his first year at the highest level of the Minors, he has turned a corner in his past three starts, allowing two runs on 10 hits over 14 1/3 innings with 22 strikeouts. He fanned 10 batters over five innings of one-run ball last Friday against Rochester. Olson is already on Detroit¡¯s 40-man roster, so the Tigers simply have to call him up if they opt to slot him into the rotation.