Analysis: The right-hander blanked the defending champs, and his teammates for the latter part of 2024, through five frames as Detroit grabbed an early 2-0 lead, but Flaherty exited after 83 pitches (50 strikes) after serving up a game-tying homer to Freddie Freeman in the sixth. Flaherty revived his career last year in a campaign split between the Tigers and Dodgers, and his performance in his 2025 debut suggests that rebound was no fluke. He lines up for a much less intimidating matchup next weekend at home against the White Sox.

Analysis: Flaherty was just about flawless in his second spring outing. The Tigers gave him more than 10 days off between Grapefruit League starts, so it appears that the team is taking it easy on the righty before the season begins. Flaherty tossed a total of 162 innings for the Tigers and Dodgers last regular season, then saw another 22 innings in the postseason for Los Angeles as he helped lead the team to a World Series title. The 29-year-old will slot in behind staff ace Tarik Skubal to begin 2025.