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Tigers Claim Carlos Hernández

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The Tigers have claimed right-hander Carlos Hernández off waivers from the Phillies, according to announcements from both clubs. Philadelphia had designated him for assignment last week. Detroit had an open 40-man roster spot due to designating righty John Brebbia for assignment yesterday. Hernández is out of options, so the Tigers will need to open an active roster spot once he reports to the club.

Hernández, 28, has big velocity but hasn’t always been able to translate it into results. After working in a swing role with the Royals from 2020 to 2022, he seemed to be breaking out as a reliever in the first half of 2023. Through August 1st of that year, he had thrown 54 innings with a 3.67 earned run average, 30.2% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate.

Unfortunately, he posted a 10.69 ERA in his final 16 innings that year. In 2024, he battled some shoulder soreness and spent the first two months of the season on the injured list. When he was reinstated, the Royals shuttled him to Triple-A and back. He posted a 3.30 ERA in the big leagues that year but with subpar strikeout and walk rates of 20.9% and 12.4% respectively. He also had a 5.40 ERA in his minor league work.

He came into 2025 out of options and didn’t make the Kansas City roster out of camp, which led him to the waiver wire and a claim by the Phillies. He logged 25 2/3 innings for the Phils this year with a 5.26 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. Though he hasn’t been able to execute, the stuff is enticing, with Hernández averaging just under 98 miles per hour on his fastball this year while also throwing a splitter, slider and knuckle curve.

Perhaps the Tigers feel they have a path to help him better harness that stuff. Or perhaps he’s just available when they want a fresh arm. Righty Will Vest departed yesterday’s game due to some discomfort in the pinky finger of his throwing hand, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Perhaps he will require a stint on the injured list, opening a hole in the big league bullpen. Since the Tigers had an open 40-man spot anyway, claiming Hernández is perhaps a bit of insurance for Vest.

It’s also possible that the Tigers plan to put Hernández back on waivers shortly with the hope of passing him through unclaimed. The Tigers have the best record in baseball and therefore the final waiver priority, meaning the other clubs just passed on him. Hernández has between three and five years of big league service time, meaning he has the right to reject an outright assignment but would have to forfeit the remainder of his $1.16MM salary in order to do so. For now, he’ll report to the Tigers and try to put some good outings together for them.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images

Tigers Designate John Brebbia For Assignment

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The Tigers have designated right-hander John Brebbia for assignment, according to multiple Detroit beat writers.  Right-hander Tyler Owens was called up from Triple-A Toledo in the corresponding move.

Brebbia signed a one-year, $2.75MM free agent contract with the Tigers in February, earning $2.25MM in 2025 with a $500K buyout of a $4MM club option for the 2026 season.  It seemed like a decent investment in a veteran who has been a fairly reliable bullpen arm for most of his career, and Brebbia’s shakier results in 2024 (a 5.86 ERA in 55 1/3 innings) could be partially ascribed to Brebbia spending most of his season with an infamously bad White Sox team.

Unfortunately for Brebbia, things haven’t worked out in 2025.  The righty has a 7.71 ERA over 18 2/3 innings for Detroit, with a lot of hard contact allowed and an 11.8% walk rate that is far beyond the career 7.3BB% Brebbia had posted heading into the season.  Beyond these rougher advanced metrics, Brebbia has also run into some bad luck for the second straight season, in the form of a .339 BABIP and a very low 56.6% strand rate.  Brebbia’s 4.32 SIERA is much more flattering than his real-world ERA, and comparable to how his 3.29 SIERA in 2024 was far lower than his 5.86 ERA.

He also spent just shy of three weeks on the injured list due to a triceps strain, and that IL stint appears to have thrown Brebbia’s season off-kilter.  The reliever had a sparkling 1.00 ERA in nine innings (eight appearances) prior to his IL stint, but he has been torched for a 13.97 ERA in 9 2/3 innings and 11 appearances since his return to the mound.  Things really particularly went south for Brebbia in his last two outings, as he has allowed six runs over 1 1/3 innings in the last two days.

This was apparently enough to convince Detroit to move on, and in all likelihood the Tigers will eat the remaining money owed on Brebbia’s contract.  If another club trades for Brebbia during his DFA period or puts in a waiver claim, the new team would assume the rest of his salary.  Should Brebbia clear waivers, Detroit is on the hook for the remaining salary, and a new team who signed Brebbia afterwards would owe him just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.  Brebbia has enough of a resume that he’ll probably soon land elsewhere on a minor league deal, as the 35-year-old will try to get his season on track with a change of scenery.

Tigers Select Matt Gage

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The Tigers announced that they have selected left-hander Matt Gage to their roster. In a corresponding active roster move, right-hander Beau Brieske has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo. To open a 40-man spot, righty Jackson Jobe has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. It was reported yesterday that Jobe will require Tommy John surgery.

Gage, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason. He has been pitching for Toledo so far this year with good results. He has logged 32 1/3 innings over 23 appearances, having allowed 1.67 earned runs per nine. His 22.8% strikeout rate and 42.9% ground ball rate are both around average while his 3.3% walk rate is excellent.

That performance will get him back up to the big leagues for the first time in a couple of years. He logged 19 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays and Astros in 2022 and 2023, posting a 1.83 ERA. But his 2024 saw him in plenty of transactions without getting into a big league game. The Astros put him on waivers in January. The Yankees claimed him but then flipped him to the Dodgers in February. The Dodgers released him but then re-signed him to a minor league deal. He triggered an opt-out clause and was added back to the 40-man roster but then flipped to the Mets. The Mets briefly recalled him to the majors but didn’t put him into a game.

Around all those transactions, he tossed 41 2/3 innings in the minors with a 4.10 ERA. The Mets outrighted him off their roster in November, which allowed him to elect free agency and sign with the Tigers. His major league track record is fairly limited but he has usually been good in the minors. From 2021 to the present, he has a 3.43 ERA, 26.6% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate in 199 1/3 innings on the farm.

The Tigers will give him a shot at facing big league hitters again but he is out of options, so his hold on a roster spot may be tenuous. For now, he’ll give the Tigers a third lefty in the bullpen alongside Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Jackson Jobe To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe will undergo Tommy John surgery. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press was among those to relay the news. He’ll miss the remainder of his season and possibly all of 2026 as well. He is already on the 15-day injured list but will be transferred to the 60-day IL whenever the Tigers need to open a roster spot.

The news is obviously brutal for both Jobe and the Tigers. Jobe, third overall pick of the 2021 draft, was one of the top pitching prospects in the league as he climbed the minor league ladder. The Tigers called him up late last year to factor into their postseason run even though he was only 21 years old. He got to make two regular season appearances and then two more in the postseason.

He came into this year as a member of the rotation. He wasn’t exactly dominant, with a 4.22 earned run average, 17.9% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate through ten starts. However, that’s a small sample of work and he’s also still quite young.

It’s also possible, in the wake of this news, that he wasn’t fully healthy. His velocity was down in his final start and the Tigers placed him on the 15-day IL a couple of weeks ago with a flexor strain. Now it seems the determination has been made that he’ll need to go under the knife. Tommy John surgery usually requires 14 to 18 months of rehab. Given that window, Jobe will miss the remainder of the year and a return in the second half of 2026 can’t be guaranteed either.

For Jobe, it’s obviously a gut punch for him to lose most of his age-22 season and potentially all of his age-23 campaign. For the Tigers, they are going to lose almost two whole seasons of their six-year window with Jobe.

They will have to proceed without him in their plans for the foreseeable future. Their current rotation consists of Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Keider Montero and Sawyer Gipson-Long. They could get Alex Cobb into the mix soon, as he’s currently on a rehab assignment. Reese Olson is out with a finger issue that doesn’t seem terribly serious. Jose Urquidy had Tommy John surgery around this time last year and could be a factor later in the year. Ty Madden has a rotation cuff strain and could also return from the IL later this year.

Most of that group will be in the mix for the 2026 rotation as well. Cobb is the only one fully slated for free agency. Flaherty has a player option for 2026 and could decide to return to the open market. The Tigers have a club option for Urquidy’s services for next year. It’s also possible that the Tigers change this picture via trades ahead of this year’s deadline.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.

Akil Baddoo Accepts Outright Assignment With Tigers

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The Tigers announced to reporters, including Chris McCosky of Detroit News, that outfielder Akil Baddoo is staying in the organization. He was designated for assignment last week but has now cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo.

Baddoo was also outrighted off Detroit’s roster in December. That was his first career outright assignment and he had less than three years of service time at that point, meaning he did not have the right to elect free agency. He was added back to the roster about a month ago but has now been outrighted a second time. He had the right to elect free agency this time but has decided to stay in the Tigers’ system as non-roster depth.

Back in 2021, Baddoo looked like a Rule 5 steal. That was his first year with Detroit after getting plucked from the Twins. He got into 124 games, hit 13 home runs and stole 18 bases. He slashed .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+.

It seemed like maybe the Tigers had grabbed an everyday outfielder but his production has tailed off since then, leaving him now as a depth option. Since the start of the 2022 season, he has stepped to the plate 682 times in the majors with a .201/.288/.323 line and 74 wRC+.

Still, the Tigers are probably happy to have him around. He has continued putting up good numbers in the minors, with a .250/.351/.433 line and 111 wRC+ for that 2022-25 stretch. Matt Vierling has been on the injured list for much of this year and it’s nice to have options available if another injury pops up.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.

Tigers Notes: Vierling, Olson, Urquidy, Boyd

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A right rotator cuff strain delayed Matt Vierling’s season debut until May 23, and he played in only four games before inflammation in that same right shoulder sent him back to the injured list.  The Tigers utilityman’s luck may be starting to change, however, as a visit with Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week resulted in what Vierling described as “absolutely the best-case scenario” of just inflammation.

“I was nervous it might be something more serious, but the MRI showed that everything was fine structurally….I will start throwing [Sunday] and build up from there.  There is no exact timeline but hopefully sooner than later,” Vierling told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters yesterday.  Vierling also noted that he received an injection in his shoulder during his appointment.

Vierling is the only position player on the Tigers’ injured list, after a swath of early-season injuries left the club heavily depleted in the outfield.  Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez have now both returned from the IL, Zach McKinstry remains a Swiss Army knife around the diamond, and Javier Baez has also evolved from a shortstop into more of a utility player (and a part-time center fielder).

All that’s missing now is Vierling, who filled a multi-positional role for Detroit in 2023-24 by suiting up at third base and at all three outfield positions, as well as a couple of appearances at first and second base.  Vierling also hit a respectable .259/.320/.406 over 1097 plate appearances over those two seasons, and his right-handed bat can help balance out a Tigers lineup that is still heavy in left-handed hitters.

Turning to the pitching side of the injured list, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided McCosky and company with an update on Reese Olson’s status.  Olson received an injection in his inflamed right ring finger last Wednesday, and threw a bullpen session on Saturday.  The next step will be incorporating changeups in Olson’s throwing sessions and future bullpens, which is the key step since it was throwing the changeup that led to the inflammation in the first place.

Olson increased his changeup usage this season, throwing the pitch 25.3% of the time and making it his chief secondary offering behind his sinker (31%).  An average pitch for Olson over his first two MLB seasons, the changeup was now suddenly his most effective offering as per Statcast’s run value metric, with the changeup registering a +5 this year.  This was, of course, over the small sample size of 48 2/3 innings in 2025, and the increase in effectiveness came at a price in the form of this IL trip.  Olson hasn’t pitched since May 17, and it looks like he’ll continue to be sidelined into the second half of June.

Jose Urquidy won’t be a factor (if at all) for the Tigers until much later in the 2025 season, as the right-hander is almost exactly one year removed from a Tommy John surgery.  Urquidy inked a one-year, $1MM guaranteed deal with Detroit in March that gives the Tigers a $4MM club option for 2026, essentially making this season a wait-and-see scenario for the team in gauging Urquidy’s recovery from rehab.

Urquidy hit a big checkpoint in his process on Friday, as Hinch said the righty threw a bullpen session at the Tigers’ spring complex in Lakeland.  Many steps remain in the throwing progression, and McCosky writes that “Urquidy is still maybe a month or more away from a rehab assignment.”  If all goes well, Urquidy could possibly be a factor for Detroit in late August or September, which would allow him to at least bank a few MLB innings as a bridge towards a fully healthy 2026.

With the Cubs visiting Detroit for a series, former Tiger Matthew Boyd was in town reuniting with some old friends in the clubhouse and on the media beat.  Boyd was a free agent this last winter, and he told MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery that he had some talks with the Tigers about a possible deal before eventually going to Chicago on a two-year, $29MM contract.  That signing has worked out wonderfully thus far, as Boyd has a 3.10 ERA over 68 2/3 innings and has been a stabilizing force within the Cubs’ injury-riddled rotation.

Boyd has spent eight of his 11 MLB seasons in a Detroit uniform, though the second of his two stints with the Tigers didn’t end well.  The southpaw signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Tigers during the 2022-23 offseason, but he produced only a 5.45 ERA over 71 innings before a Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season and kept him on the shelf for most of the 2024 campaign.  Boyd was able to return by the end of 2024 and, as a member of the Guardians, looked very sharp in posting a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 regular-season innings and then an 0.77 ERA over 11 2/3 postseason frames.

That performance was enough to land Boyd two guaranteed years from the Cubs, plus the contract contains a mutual option for 2027.  It is possible that giving Boyd a second year was too much for the Tigers, as the club was focused mostly on shorter-term additions to its pitching staff.  Detroit brought Jack Flaherty (for two years and $35MM, with an opt-out after 2025) and Alex Cobb (one year, $15MM) into the fold this past winter as alternatives to another reunion with Boyd.

Tigers Prospect Bryce Rainer To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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The Tigers announced that shortstop Bryce Rainer, the club’s first-round pick in the 2024 draft, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his dislocated right shoulder.  Rainer is expected to be ready for Spring Training, but his first pro season will be cut short after just 35 games with A-level Lakeland.

The injury occurred last Tuesday, when Rainer dove back to first base on a pickoff attempt.  Immediately removed from the game in the aftermath of the play, Rainer has spent the last few days getting multiple opinions from doctors before ultimately deciding on surgery for his throwing shoulder.  It’s a tough outcome for the 19-year-old, who has hit .288/.383/.448 with five home runs in 149 plate appearances for Lakeland.

Rainer’s impressive performance has only continued to elevate his already-high stock.  Selected 11th overall in last July’s draft, Rainer is ranked 29th in Baseball America’s latest update to its top-100 prospects list, and 44th in MLB Pipeline’s current ranking.  Considered to have more power potential than pure hitting potential, Rainer’s early results in Lakeland have indicated an improved overall approach at the plate.

Fellow Detroit prospects Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle sit ahead of Rainer in both rankings — a testament to the strength of the Tigers’ farm system, and in particular a promising glimpse into the club’s future infield.  Both McGonigle and Rainer are shortstops, though Rainer has the more powerful throwing arm and is generally considered the better fielder, so McGonigle may be the likelier of the two to eventually move to second base.  Rainer’s arm might also make him a candidate for third base, though such considerations may be on hold until we see how well Rainer’s right arm recovers from surgery.

Tigers Designate Akil Baddoo For Assignment

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The Tigers announced that they have designated outfielder Akil Baddoo for assignment. That’s the corresponding 40-man move for the club to select Jahmai Jones, a move that was reported earlier today.

It’s the second time in the past year that the Tigers have designated Baddoo for assignment. The first came in December, with Baddoo getting passed through waivers unclaimed at that time. He was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo came into 2025 as non-roster depth and performed well enough in Triple-A to get called back up in mid-May. But he hit .118/.167/.176 in seven big league games and got optioned back down to Toledo a couple of weeks ago.

He’s now been bumped off the roster again and will likely head to the waiver wire for a second time. A player with a previous career outright has the right to elect free agency. That means that the chances of Baddoo departing the organization are far higher now compared to December. If he is claimed, he’s obviously gone. If he’s not claimed, he could be gone in that scenario as well.

He has always performed well in the minors but his major league track record is more mixed. The Tigers took him from the Twins in the Rule 5 draft heading into 2021 and Baddoo went on to have a nice season, slashing .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+ while also stealing 18 bases. But his big league time since then has resulted in a .201/.288/.323 line and 74 wRC+.

He still produces on the farm, with a .250/.351/.433 line and 111 wRC+ in that 2022-25 window when he hasn’t been hitting in the majors. Given his speed, defensive acumen and remaining option year, it’s possible he finds interest elsewhere. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, meaning the Tigers could explore trade interest for as long as five days.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.

Tigers To Select Jahmai Jones

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The Tigers are going to select the contract of infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Infielder Andy Ibáñez has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo as the corresponding active roster move. Petzold suggests that outfielder Akil Baddoo could be designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot, though it’s unclear if that’s pure speculation or not.

Jones, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason. He has since been playing for Triple-A Toledo and putting up good numbers, with a .276/.392/.482 line and 139 wRC+. That’s at least partially inflated by a .345 batting average on balls in play but Jones also has six home runs and is drawing walks at a strong 11.7% clip while keeping his strikeouts down to a reasonable 22.4% level.

In addition to that strong work at the plate, Jones has stolen eight bases and bounced around the diamond. He has lined up defensively at all three outfield spots and second base. He hasn’t had any action at the infield corners this year but has done so previously in his career.

That’s a nice performance but the issue with Jones is that he has always performed well in the minors but hasn’t clicked in the majors yet. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has a .263/.382/.453 line and 122 wRC+ on the farm. In the majors, he has a far worse .198/.257/.278 line and 50 wRC+, though he’s only been allowed to make 137 total plate appearances scattered over several seasons dating back to 2020.

It’s possible the Tigers envision a short-side platoon role for Jones, a right-handed hitter. The Detroit outfield has three regular lefties in Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter. They also have other lefties getting playing time, including Colt Keith, Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney. Though Jones hasn’t clicked in the majors overall, he has a .304/.360/.565 line against southpaws and has good numbers against them in the minors as well.

Jones is out of options, so he can’t be easily sent back down to the minors if the Tigers want to shake up the roster later. But if he manages to stick, he can be cheaply controlled for years to come as he doesn’t yet have enough service time to qualify for arbitration and won’t be able to get there by the end of this season.

Jones getting a roster spot will cost Ibáñez his. Ibáñez was claimed off waivers from the Rangers going into 2023 and has been a fixture of the Tigers since, but with diminishing production. He hit .264/.312/.433 for a 104 wRC+ in 2023, followed by .241/.295/.357 and an 87 wRC+ last year. So far in 2025, he’s down to .213/.292/.319 and a 77 wRC+. He’ll try to get back on track in Toledo. Once he spends 20 days on optional assignment, he’ll burn his final option year and will be out of options going into 2025.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Tigers Willing To Play Colt Keith At Third Base

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Tigers infielder Colt Keith has not played third base in the majors but could make his debut there at any time. Prior to yesterday’s game, manager A.J. Hinch said so, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

“We’re curious about how we can maximize this roster,” Hinch said. “I don’t know that it will be something that is primary, or I don’t know that it’s something you’re going to see a lot of, but there are a lot of times during games – as we do use our whole roster – where being able to put him over there could be very advantageous.” When asked if Keith is ready to play third, Hinch said: “I don’t know if he’s ready or not, but if the game leads me that way, I’m going to put him there because of the situations that we’re trying to win games. In a perfect world, he gets a few more reps of practice, but I’m willing to do anything to try to put these guys in a good position.”

Playing third base used to be quite normal for Keith. In 2021, his first professional season, that was his primary position. He logged 347 2/3 innings at the hot corner and 132 at second base. However, he suffered an injury to his right shoulder in June of 2022. He spent the second half of that year on the injured list. Issues with that shoulder flared up in 2023 and 2024, which led to him spending more time on the right side of the infield. He hasn’t played third since late in 2023 in the minors.

He was called up to the majors in 2024 and, as mentioned, hasn’t played third in the big leagues yet. He played second base last year, though the offseason signing of Gleyber Torres has pushed him largely to first base this year. Keith has technically spent more time at second than at first so far in 2025, though a lot of that time at the keystone was when Torres was on the injured list.

He has been doing some drills at third base lately and it seems the Tigers are satisfied enough with his progress that he’s a legitimate option there. Based on Hinch’s framing, it sounds like they are taking a cautious approach. Perhaps they will give Keith occasional looks there at first to see how it goes, with the possibility for more appearances if things go well.

If Keith is able to handle third, it would be a good fit for the club in a lot of ways, as the Tigers have a lot of options for the right side of the infield but are weaker on the left. Keith himself has a solid .244/.332/.390 line and 108 wRC+ this year. Torres is having a great season at the plate, with a .270/.383/.404 line and 131 wRC+. First baseman Spencer Torkelson has a .231/.341/.495 line and 134 wRC+.

The designated hitter spot allows those three to share a lineup but the Tigers would probably like to have Kerry Carpenter in there more often since he’s not a great defender in the outfield and has some recurring injury issues. He has spent a lot of time on the grass this year due to the Keith/Torres/Torkelson trio rotating through the DH spot, as well as a number of outfield injuries. However, Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez have both recently returned from lengthy IL stints. Between those two, Carpenter and Riley Greene, the outfield is more crowded than it has been all season.

Meanwhile, the left side of the infield is fairly wide open. Trey Sweeney has been the regular shortstop but he is hitting just .225/.282/.316 for a wRC+ of 70 this year, with subpar defense to boot. At third base, a hodgepodge of players have produced a collective .195/.272/.276 line and 60 wRC+. Only the Twins and Brewers have received less offensive production from the hot corner this year.

Jace Jung was given a chance to take the position earlier this year but he did not succeed. Of late, the club has been trying to cobble together a solution from utility players Zach McKinstry, Javier Báez and Andy Ibáñez. McKinstry and Báez are playing well on the whole but can’t seem to produce much when playing third. That may just be small sample noise, but regardless, the Tigers would surely love it if someone could solidify the position.

If Keith can handle third, it would upgrade the club’s production at that spot while also helping elsewhere. Torres and Torkelson could be the regular’s on the right side. McKinstry or Báez could bounce around as utility guys or perhaps cut into Sweeney’s time at short. The DH spot could open up for Carpenter and the club’s other outfielders.

The Tigers have the best record in baseball at 41-22 but no club is perfect and patching up any hole they can find will naturally help for the stretch run and in the postseason. It could also alter the club’s deadline plans if there’s a notable shift in the next month or so.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

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