The Tigers announced that they've designated infielder Dixon Machado for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Joe Nathan.
Machado, 21, batted .232/.277/.311 with one homer and one stolen base in 44 games this season at Class-A Advanced Lakeland. Though he's just a career .222/.301/.271 batter in the minors, Baseball America still ranked him 27th among Tigers prospects last offseason based solely on his defense. BA noted that while Dixon's power rates as a 20 on the 20-80 scouting scale, he also possesses "graceful agility and excellent athleticism" to go along with soft hands, speed and a strong throwing arm.
