Tigers-Twins postponed today; doubleheader planned for Saturday

The Detroit Tigers got back-to-back off days.

After Wednesday’s off day, the Tigers postponed Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, scheduled for 1:10 p.m., because of inclement weather at Comerica Park in Detroit, where it rained much of the day.

The teams will play a straight doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 1:10 p.m. Game 2 will start approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.

The Tigers and Twins are slated to play the first of four games in the series at 6:40 p.m. Friday, followed by Saturday’s doubleheader. The series finale is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. Sunday.

The pitching plan has been partially finalized.

Before the rainout, the Tigers were supposed to use lefthander Tarik Skubal on Thursday, right-hander Kenta Maeda on Friday, right-hander Jack Flaherty on Saturday and right-hander Reese Olson on Sunday.

The Tigers, though, scratched right-hander Matt Manning — who isn’t injured — from Wednesday’s start with Triple-A Toledo in preparation for the rainout and doubleheader. Manning is expected to start one of Saturday’s games as the 27th player for the doubleheader.

Serving as the 27th man is exactly what Manning did April 4 against the New York Mets, when he threw 52⁄3 nohit innings with four walks and three strikeouts on 90 pitches.

After the rainout, Skubal will start Friday, Maeda will start in Game 1 on Saturday and Flaherty will start Sunday. The Tigers haven’t revealed the starter for Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader, but Manning makes sense.

Olson has been pushed back to the four-game series against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. He is lined up to pitch Monday’s opener.

Tickets for Saturday’s doubleheader will be honored for those with tickets to Saturday’s originally scheduled game. Fans with tickets for Thursday’s postponed game can exchange tickets for Saturday’s doubleheader or any future regular season game — except Opening Day in 2025 — within the next 12 months.

The Tigers and Twins play seven games in the next 10 days. Entering Thursday, the Tigers (7-4) are 11⁄2 games back of the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, with the Twins (4-6) four games back.