The Detroit Tigers have one of the best rotations in MLB, and one player who could elevate it even further is right‑hander Jack Flaherty. The 30‑year‑old veteran signed a two-year, $35 million contract to return to Detroit during the 2024 offseason for a second stint with the organization.
Flaherty spent the first half of the 2024 season with the Tigers before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, where he helped the club win a World Series title. Looking to contend again, the Tigers made the move to bring him back.
Unfortunately, his 2025 season did not unfold as planned. Flaherty struggled to find consistency, posting a 4.64 ERA and losing 15 games, the most in the American League. Still, he struck out 188 batters across 161 innings of work, showing he still possesses swing-and-miss stuff.
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As Flaherty turns the page to 2026 in search of better results, he is also entering a new chapter in his personal life. On Thursday, in a collaborative post with his girlfriend Katie Johnson, Flaherty shared a series of photos revealing his engagement.
The images showed Flaherty proposing and Johnson displaying her ring, confirming she said yes. “toi et moi 🕊️,” the caption read. While he celebrates the milestone off the field, this remains a pivotal season for him professionally.
Flaherty is set to make his first start since the engagement on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. In his season debut against the San Diego Padres, he allowed three runs and four walks over 4 1/3 innings.
The Tigers are the fourth organization Flaherty has pitched for in his decade long MLB career. He was originally a first round pick by St. Louis, where he delivered the best season of his career in 2019, finishing fourth in Cy Young voting.
With Detroit aiming to return to the postseason for a third consecutive season, Flaherty’s ability to rebound and stabilize the back end of the rotation could prove just as meaningful as any personal milestone he reaches along the way.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
