Valdez took a no-decision Sunday against the Royals, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out four.
A fielding error by Hao-Yu Lee with two outs in opening frame kept an earned run off Valdez's line. The 32-year-old southpaw has pitched at least five innings in all but three of his 21 starts this year, so he's providing fairly consistent length in spite of the shakiness he's shown overall during his debut season with the Tigers. Valdez's 4.53 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for the campaign are his worst marks since 2019 with Houston, and he's also registered a career-worst 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2026.