The Tigers announced Friday that theyve optioned right-hander to Triple-A Toledo. That puts an end to the three-horse race for the final two spots in manager AJ Hinchs rotation. Right-handers and will open the season on the starting staff behind lefty and righties and . Detroit also rea signed non-roster right-hander to minor league camp. Detroits talented trio of right-handers didnt make the decision easy at least not in terms of spring results. Each of Mize, Olson and Manning pitched between 14 2/3 innings and 16 innings this spring, and none posted an ERA north of Olsons 3.68. Olson posted the best blend of strikeout and walk rates in camp (22.6% and 6.5%, respectively). Mize notched the lowest ERA but the highest walk rate. Manning was perhaps done in by the six home runs he yielded in 16 innings. While Manning wont open the season in the rotation, its likely that he, Mize and Olson will all make their share of starts in Detroit this season. Mize is in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery and back surgery. Hell Vernon Jackson Jersey be on an innings limit of some degree. Injuries in the rotation are also a virtual inevitability. Even with Manning opening the year in Toledo, it wouldnt be a shock to see him start 15-plus games in the bigs. Mize, 27 in May, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He showed plenty of promise in 2021, to sing 150 1/3 innings of 3.71 ERA ball with a below-average 19.3% strikeout rate but a strong 6.7% walk rate and similarly encouraging 48.1% ground-ball rate. That looked to set the stage for Mize to seize a long-term spot in the Detroit rotation, but he unfortunately suffered a UCL tear early in the 2022 season. He wound up undergoing Tommy John surgery and, while he was rehabbing that procedure, underwent surgery to addre s a nagging back i sue that had been plaguing him for some time. Hes still under club control for three seasons. Olson, 24, made his big league debut with Detroit last season and quickly impre sed. In his first 103 2/3 MLB frames, he turned in a 3.99 ERA with average or better strikeout (24.4%), walk (7.8%) and ground-ball (42.8%) rates. Olson supported those rates with solid marks in swinging-strike and opponents chase rates as well. The Tigers control him all the way through 2029. The 26-year-old Manning was Detroits first-round pick back in 2016. Hes pitched in parts of three big league seasons, logging a 4.37 ERA with a 16.1% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 41.6% grounder rate. Manning hasnt mi sed bats at the levels expected throughout his time as a top-ranked prospect, but hes shown solid command and kept the ball in the yard nicely to this point in his career. Hes also had frequent bad luck with injuries, including a 2023 season in which he incredibly broke his foot on two separate occasions upon being struck by a comeback line-drive. Hes under club control through 2027 and will remain a notable piece of the Tigers rotation puzzle in the foreseeable future, even if he starts this season out in Toledo. Jalen Pitre Jersey