It was meant to happen, and it eventually happened. There were rumors about the Tigers’ Framber Valdez‘s probable repurcasions after he hit Trevor Story up high with a 94 mph fastball on Tuesday. The HBP was so evident that even the Tigers’ manager, AJ Hinch, didn’t stand by Valdez. So, writings were already on the wall about what’s coming next.

MLB announced the punishment, and it is way harder than it was thought.

“Framber Valdez has been suspended six games and fined for hitting Trevor Story,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

Yes, six games! And that’s not all. An unidentified amount of fine. Even Hinch is also served with a 1-game suspension.

The drama unfolded in the 4th inning against the Red Sox on Tuesday. Valdez started the game for the Tigers, but ended up scoring one of his worst career outings. The Red Sox scored 3 runs in the first innings and then another 5 runs in the 3rd. And just as Valdez entered the fourth, he was welcomed with two consecutive homers by Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu.

Valdez had had enough, and he threw a 90 mph+ fastball that looked like a beanball to Trevor Story. The pitch was way above the strike zone, and by no means was it targeted for the zone. Story tried to dodge the ball, but it hit his left shoulder. The Tigers’ catcher, Dillon Dingler, and the home plate umpire knew what could have happened then, and they came in between to stop Story from charging the mound.

Heated exchanges followed, although verbally but still couldn’t stop the benches from getting cleared. Both rosters came face-to-face, but stopped short of getting physical. Valdez justified his action after the game, saying, “It was not intentional. It was not on purpose. It might look like that, but it wasn’t.” However, his manager didn’t stand by him.

“We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn’t feel like it. That’s not judging intent. I have no idea. But I know when you go out on the field, and you end up in those confrontations, you usually feel like you’re in your right. It didn’t feel good being out there,” Hinch said after the game.

Valdez was ejected immediately, but it was anticipated that more was to come. However, the surprising part was that Hinch was also suspended for one game. Hinch was seen calming the situation. He was seen talking with Contreras to make things normal. He didn’t even support Valdez, but still faced the music. Unless Valdez chooses to appeal, the punishment stands still and is effective from tonight.

This means the Tigers’ ongoing pitching struggle just got multiplied

Framber Valdez just made the Tigers’ pitching problem worse

Entering the 2026 season, the Tigers’ pitching was the envy of others. Names like Tarik Skubal and Valdez in the rotation mean enough terror at the mound. However, currently, the team will play without both of them.

Skubal is out after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Justin Verlander is on the 15-day IL with hip inflammation and is struggling to recover between bullpen sessions. Casey Mize was placed on the 15-day IL on April 28 with a strained groin, further thinning the veteran core. Now, after Framber Valdez’s suspension, the rotation looks battered.

The worst part is that the remaining arms are struggling. For instance, Jack Flaherty has failed to complete the 4th inning in three consecutive starts and has a 5.90 ERA. So, will the team look for outside help from free agency? Highly unlikely, but chances are high that a few call-ups from the minors could happen. Ty Madden provided immediate relief with 5 scoreless innings against Boston. He is the most likely candidate to take a permanent rotation spot if he maintains his mid-90s velocity and command.

For Hinch, it’s now a survival mode without Valdez, and the team is just one more miss away from a debacle.