Vierling (shoulder) has begun light, modified baseball activities, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's not much, but Vierling being able to do anything one week after being diagnosed with a strained right rotator cuff muscle provides some optimism. Vierling won't be ready for Opening Day, and it's not yet clear how much time he might miss.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Vierling is dealing with a strained right rotator cuff muscle and will not be ready for Opening Day, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling has been held out of action for nearly a week already and will continue to rest before being re-evaluated. As a result, playing time could open up for Wenceel Perez in right field and Andy Ibanez at third base, where Vierling had been likely to serve on the short side of a platoon with Jace Jung.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday that Vierling is recovering from a right shoulder injury, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling hasn't played since Sunday, though it's unclear if he suffered the injury in the Tigers' Grapefruit League game that day or if he had been nursing the shoulder injury heading into the contest. The Tigers are expected to provide more details on Vierling's injury Friday. Vierling is expected to be a regular for the Tigers this season, with most of his playing time likely to come between right field and third base.

With free agent Alex Bregman passing up the Tigers to sign with the Red Sox, Vierling should have a clearer path to regular starts at third base, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

If Bregman had joined Detroit, he likely would have played most days at the hot corner, pushing Vierling to a bench role. However, Vierling should now slot in as a primary option at third, though left-hand hitting Jace Jung figures to be in the mix too. On days when Jung enters the lineup, Vierling could slide to the outfield. This makes the veteran's 2025 fantasy outlook similar to 2024, when he slashed .257/.312/.423 with 16 home runs across 144 regular-season games.

Vierling is expected to split time between third base and the outfield once again in 2025, though the Tigers could add another third baseman before the season starts, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

During the 2024 regular season, Vierling saw 51 games of action at third and another 98 in the outfield. A similar split may develop this year, as Vierling could form a platoon with left-hand hitting Jace Jung at the hot corner, with the former shifting to the outfield on days that Jung is in the lineup. One potential complicating factor is the status of free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who has been linked to the Tigers and his former Houston manager, A.J. Hinch. If Bregman or another third baseman joins Detroit before the season starts, both Vierling and Jung would figure to see less time at the position. Vierling would still serve in a utility role, though his fantasy value would take a hit.

The Tigers and Vierling avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.005 million contract Thursday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's a substantial pay increase for Vierling, who was eligible for arbitration for the first time. The super utility player hit .257/.312/.423 with 16 home runs across 144 games for Detroit in 2024 and should see close to everyday playing time again in 2025.

Vierling isn't in the Tigers' lineup for Saturday's game against the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling has tallied a hit in each of his last three games, but he'll step out of the starting nine Saturday as Jace Jung gets the starting nod at third base and bats seventh.

Vierling is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling started six of the last seven games, including three of the last four versus righties, but he'll grab a seat for this one as the Rays send right-hander Ryan Pepiot to the bump. Zach McKinstry is at third base and Wenceel Perez is in right field for Detroit.

Vierling is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling will take a seat for the series finale after he had started in each of the Tigers' last three games. Wenceel Perez will fill in for Vierling in right field and will bat third.

Vierling went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

Vierling played a lead role for the Tigers in a key win as they continued to make up ground on Minnesota for the final AL playoff spot. The utility man's numbers don't jump off the page, but he's once again been a steady performer with a .261 batting average and .741 OPS. Vierling posted an identical .261 average last season with a .717 OPS.