Alvarez was released by the Tigers on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Alvarez missed all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery but had re-signed with the Tigers on a minor-league contract last week. It's not clear what happened between then and now, but Alvarez is a free agent again. The 34-year-old holds a career 3.47 ERA over parts of 10 major-league seasons.
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Tigers' Jose Alvarez: Re-ups with Detroit
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Alvarez (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Monday, which includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Alvarez has signed on to remain in Detroit for another season after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery for the entirety of the 2023 campaign. The southpaw will get a chance to show what he can do in spring camp after struggling in his last big-league action during the 2022 season while with San Francisco (5.28 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 15.1 innings).
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Tigers' Jose Alvarez: Lands with Detroit
Rotowire
Alvarez (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Friday.
Alvarez underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2023 season. The left-hander will conduct his rehab under the supervision of the Tigers' staff, and he could remain in the organization in 2024 and challenge for a spot in the big-league bullpen. He appeared in 21 games for the Giants in the 2022 season, logging a 5.28 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 15.1 innings.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
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Alvarez underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez has been sidelined since early July due to elbow inflammation, and the Giants announced last week that the southpaw would likely require Tommy John surgery. He officially underwent the procedure Wednesday and will likely be sidelined until at least 2024 due to the lengthy recovery process associated with the surgery.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Tommy John surgery likely on tap
Rotowire
Alvarez recently suffered a setback in his rehab program from his left elbow injury and is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alvarez was placed on the injured list July 7 due to elbow inflammation, only for the injury to later be diagnosed as an UCL strain. He elected to forgo surgery and was cleared to resume a throwing program earlier this month before experiencing the setback. Alvarez will likely seek a second medical opinion before deciding his next steps, but assuming Tommy John surgery is recommended, he'll likely go under the knife within the next few weeks. Alvarez has been ruled out for current season, and if surgery is indeed necessary, the reliever will likely be sidelined for the entire 2023 campaign as well.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Alvarez (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Alvarez is on the 60-day injured list while recovering from left elbow inflammation and won't be eligible to return until early September. That should give him plenty of time to build up gradually in bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Begins throwing progression
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Alvarez (elbow) began a throwing progression Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez remains at least a month away from returning since he's on the 60-day injured list. That will allow him to ramp up carefully, and a clearer picture on his return timeline should emerge once he begins to face hitters.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Receives cortisone injection
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Alvarez (elbow) received a cortisone injection Thursday and hopes to avoid surgery, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The left-hander was transferred to the 60-day IL on Thursday after landing on the 15-day IL last week, and he'll be sidelined until at least early September. How Alvarez's elbow responds to the injection will dictate the next step in his recovery process.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Avoiding surgery for now
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Alvarez will not undergo surgery on his left elbow for the time being,Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alvarez was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday, which means he will be sidelined until at least early September. His elbow inflammation has not improved with treatment, but the Giants are still hoping he will be able to avoid surgery.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Alvarez (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.
Alvarez was initially diagnosed with left elbow inflammation July 7 when he was deactivated, but his move to the 60-day IL a week later is an indication that season-ending surgery is a strong possibility, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. At the very least, Alvarez will be sidelined until early September as a result of the transaction. The Giants claimed reliever Aaron Fletcher off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday, and he'll fill Alvarez's spot on the 40-man roster.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: MRI results encouraging
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Alvarez (elbow) underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed inflammation, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
The Giants feared that Alvarez was dealing with ligament damage in his elbow, but he's expected to miss only two or three weeks after receiving the results of his MRI. The southpaw will likely be in the mix to rejoin San Francisco's bullpen in late July or early August.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Back on injured list
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Alvarez was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to elbow inflammation, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Alvarez was activated from the injured list Tuesday after a minimum stint caused by a back issue. His immediate return to the shelf is even more concerning given that he did not appear in a game. Though Alvarez will be eligible to take the mound again in late July, the Giants will likely take a cautious approach.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Returns from injured list
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Alvarez (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
Alvarez has been sidelined since mid-June by back tightness, but he'll rejoin San Francisco's active roster after a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento. The left-hander has a 5.28 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB across 15.1 innings with one save and one hold in 21 outings this year.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Alvarez (back) struck out one over a scoreless inning in his rehab appearance Tuesday for Triple-A Sacramento.
Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list June 21 with lower-back tightness, but he should be ready to rejoin the Giants' active roster in close to the minimum amount of time. Prior to being shut down with the injury, Alvarez produced a 5.28 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 15.1 innings out of the bullpen.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Shut down with back tightness
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The Giants placed Alvarez on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with back tightness, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Alvarez hadn't made any appearances since notching his first save of the season June 11, and the back injury likely explains why. His placement on the IL is retroactive to June 18, so Alvarez could be activated as soon as July 3 if he's fully moved past the back issue by then. Alvarez's move to the IL created an opening on the 26-man active roster for Anthony DeSclafani (ankle), who was reinstated from the 60-day IL in advance of his scheduled start Tuesday in Atlanta.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Secures save Saturday
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Alvarez earned a save against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out one over one inning.
Camilo Doval has been working as the Giants' primary closer much of the season, but he was used in a tight spot in the eighth inning Saturday. That allowed Alvarez to get the ninth-inning opportunity, and he began the frame by serving up a homer to Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers managed two additional hits in the inning, but Alvarez was able to emerge with his first save since 2019 and just his fourth overall across his 10-year career in the majors.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Secures second win
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Alvarez (2-1) walked two batters and struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win in extra innings versus the Phillies on Tuesday.
Alvarez had given up runs in each of his last two outings before Tuesday. He got the last out of the 10th inning after Camilo Doval blew a save, then stayed in the game to pitch the 11th and earn the win. Alvarez has a 4.61 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 13:9 K:BB across 13.2 innings in 19 appearances this season. He's added a blown save and a hold, though his unusually shaky command has made the southpaw less effective than he has been in recent years.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Charged with first loss
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Alvarez (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning, taking the loss and a blown save Wednesday versus the Rockies.
Alvarez allowed an inherited runner from starter Logan Webb to score before surrendering a two-run home run to C.J. Cron. This was the second time in his last four outings Alvarez has allowed multiple runs. He's now at a 5.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8:3 K:BB and one hold through nine innings across 13 appearances. The southpaw's limited usage and lack of save opportunities makes him a non-factor in most fantasy formats.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Logs first hold
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Alvarez retired the only batter he faced to earn a hold in Sunday's 12-3 win over the Nationals.
Alvarez finished the seventh inning after Logan Webb gave up a double to Cesar Hernandez. Through five appearances, Alvarez has covered 3.2 innings, allowing one run on a hit and two walks with two strikeouts. The lefty reliever was effective in a versatile role last season, though he's unlikely to see many save chances as the Giants already have a crowded closer committee.
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Giants' Jose Alvarez: Earns win Friday
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Alvarez (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced to earn the win Friday versus the Marlins.
With all three of Tyler Rogers, Jake McGee and Camilo Doval used prior to the 10th inning, Alvarez was called on to get an out with two runners on. He did the job, striking out Brian Anderson on three pitches. Alvarez then became the pitcher of record when Austin Slater hit a walkoff double in the bottom of the 10th. In 67 appearances last season, Alvarez impressed with a 5-2 record, eight holds, a 2.37 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and a 42:19 K:BB. He's not part of the Giants' expected closer committee, but he should continue to see work in tight games if he can carry over his success at limiting offense -- particularly home runs -- from last season.
