Tigers Release Bryan Sammons, Dugan Darnell
The Tigers have released left-hander Bryan Sammons and righty Dugan Darnell, according to the transaction trackers at MLB.com. They signed minor league deals with Detroit in the offseason but are now free to sign with any club.
Sammons has been with Triple-A Toledo this year, working as a starter. Two of his ten appearances were officially as a reliever but he tossed at least 4 1/3 innings in both of those. On the whole, he has thrown 41 innings, allowing 4.83 earned runs per nine. He has struck out 19.8% of batters faced, given out walks at an 11.3% pace and induced grounders on 30.8% of balls in play.
It’s possible that the transaction is due to an injury. His last appearance was on May 21st, a game he started but in which he threw only 11 pitches. As seen in this clip of that game from Tigers ML Report, Sammons slips on the mound and is in obvious discomfort.
Now that Sammons is on the open market, he can look for his next opportunity, though his health status will obviously be a factor. His major league track record consists of 27 1/3 innings with the Tigers in 2024. He had a solid 3.62 ERA in that time, though he got some help from a .143 batting average on balls in play and 85.2% strand rate. He was outrighted off the roster after that season and then signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball for 2025. He put up a 3.78 ERA for the Marines before re-signing with the Tigers on a minor league deal coming into the 2026 season.
The Tigers have lost Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize to the injured list in the past month. Both pitchers could return fairly soon but they have joined Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson on the IL. The Tigers are currently running a four-man rotation consisting of Framber Valdez, Keider Montero, Jack Flaherty and Troy Melton, with Ty Madden and Enmanuel De Jesus in multi-inning relief roles. They have Sawyer Gipson-Long and Jake Miller on optional assignment. They could try to re-sign Sammons for more depth if he’s healthy in the near future but they could also look to other options.
Darnell has spent the entire season on the Triple-A injured list. He was recovering from a labrum procedure on his left hip at the time of signing and wasn’t expected to pitch until at least May. Darnell made his MLB debut last season with nine appearances for the Rockies. He allowed five runs with seven walks and five strikeouts across 11 2/3 innings.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images
Tarik Skubal To Begin Rehab Assignment, Could Be Reinstated After One Start
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided reporters with some updates on injured players today. Most notably, Hinch says that ace Tarik Skubal will make a rehab appearance on Sunday. That will take place with High-A West Michigan instead of Triple-A due to the weather forecast. If all goes well, he could rejoin the big league club after that. Hinch also said that infielder Trey Sweeney underwent season-ending arthroscopic right shoulder surgery. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic were among those to pass along the info.
It’s a remarkable turnaround timeline for Skubal, who just underwent surgery to remove a loose body in his elbow a month ago. A procedure like that would normally come with a timeline about three months, if not more.
Skubal was the first MLB player to have surgery performed with a tool called a NanoNeedle, which some are now calling a SkubalScope. Basically, it’s like other arthroscopes but smaller. The reduced size and smaller incision theoretically leads to less pain and swelling, which hopefully leads to a quicker recovery time.
Based on how things have gone for Skubal, the theory appears to be holding true, at least so far. He began throwing less just over a week after going the procedure. Less than three weeks after going under the knife, he threw a three-inning sim game. If the next steps go smoothly, he could be back with the Tigers less than six weeks from the operation.
Though it’s a great development for Skubal, the impacts are potentially broader than that. Cutting the recovery time in half for a common injury could have all kinds of positive ramifications for the pitchers and the sport. Though of course, it still remains to be seen if all will go according to plan in the next few weeks. It’s also unclear if all pitchers will be this lucky. Blake Snell underwent surgery in the middle of May, using the NanoNeedle, to remove multiple loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers quickly put him on the 60-day injured list, so that club expects Snell’s timeline to be at least two months.
Time will tell on whether the medical aspect is a game-changer or not. For now, it’s huge for baseball and the 2026 season. The Tigers were 18-17 and tied with the Guardians atop the American League Central when news of Skubal’s surgery was revealed. Since then, they have gone into a bad slump and fallen to 25-38, with the Angels the only A.L. club with a worse record.
Thanks to widespread struggles among A.L. clubs, the playoff race is still wide open. The Tigers are only 5.5 games back of the Athletics and Rangers, who are tied for the last Wild Card spot with records of 30-32. Getting Skubal back into the rotation so quickly will be a big boost to the Tigers as they try to climb back into the mix.
If Detroit can’t gain ground in that race, then Skubal will be the most talked-about player ahead of the trade deadline. There have already been whispers about Skubal trade possibilities for a long time, since he is an impending free agent and doesn’t seem likely to sign an extension. An offseason trade never made much sense from the team’s perspective since they have been in win-now mode for a few years, though their recent skid has made the possibility seem much more realistic.
Combine all those factors and Skubal should be in the spotlight in the coming weeks and months. Him coming back healthy and pitching like his old self will obviously be important. The club’s record will also be closely watched by fans in Detroit and elsewhere.
Given the magnitude of the decision, the front office will presumably try to delay picking a lane as long as possible. If Detroit gets into playoff position or falls further back, the choice will become easier. If they stay a few games out of a playoff spot, that’s a much tougher call. The Tigers know well that a lot can happen in a short amount of time. In 2024, Detroit was 10 games out of a playoff spot in the middle of August but got red hot to make it in. Last year, the Tigers had a 15.5-game lead on the Guardians in July but saw Cleveland storm back to take the division.
In addition to Skubal, the Tigers have Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson on the IL. Olson is done for the season due to shoulder surgery. Jobe had Tommy John surgery a year ago and could perhaps be a factor in a few months. Verlander is dealing with hip inflammation and Mize a groin strain. Verlander made a five-inning rehab start on Tuesday, so he and Skubal could both be back soon. Mize could be a bit behind them, potentially starting a rehab assignment soon.
The Tigers are currently running a four-man rotation consisting of Framber Valdez, Keider Montero, Jack Flaherty and Troy Melton, with Ty Madden and Enmanuel De Jesus in multi-inning relief roles.
If everyone stays healthy while Skubal, Verlander and Mize get back in the mix, it could lead to some tricky decisions about that group. Flaherty has the highest earned run average of the bunch at 5.31. He hasn’t been helped by a .333 batting average on balls in play and 64.1% strand rate, so his 4.40 FIP and 4.18 SIERA are much more encouraging. Given his veteran status and hefty salary, it might be tough to move him to the bullpen. Montero, Melton, Madden and De Jesus all have options and could be sent to the minors, if that’s what the club decides.
Sweeney began the season on the 10-day IL due to a shoulder strain. He was moved to the 60-day IL in the second week of April, suggesting the Tigers didn’t expect him back soon. Presumably, he and the club were exploring non-surgical options but hit a wall with those pursuits and 2026 will go down as an entirely lost season for him. He’ll continue to collect big league pay and service time while on the IL.
The Tigers are without Sweeney and Javier Báez in their middle infield group at the moment. Kevin McGonigle is playing both shortstop and third base, with Zack Short covering short when McGonigle is at the hot corner. Gleyber Torres was also on the IL for a while but recently returned to take over second base. Jace Jung, Hao-Yu Lee, Trei Cruz and Gage Workman are on the 40-man but currently on optional assignment. Torres is a free agent at season’s end, so the second base job is up for grabs in 2027.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas,Imagn Images
Tigers Activate Kerry Carpenter From 10-Day Injured List
The Tigers have activated Kerry Carpenter from the 10-day injured list, per Tony Paul of The Detroit News. He will bat fourth and serve as the DH today against the White Sox. Gage Workman has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding active roster move.
Carpenter has been on the shelf since May 10th with a left AC joint sprain. Recent reporting indicated that he and Gleyber Torres were set to begin rehab assignments. In Carpenter’s case, that ended up lasting just two games. He now returns to the Tigers having missed exactly three weeks.
Carpenter, now in his fifth season in the Majors, recorded 117 plate appearances before his injury. He batted .216/.299/.451 in that small sample, good for a 107 wRC+. Carpenter was walking 9.4% of the time, a big step up from last year’s 3.9% walk rate. However, he was also striking out at a 34.2% clip, which would be a career high over a full season. Going forward, the club will bank on Carpenter cutting the strikeouts back to the mid-20s and resuming his place as a middle-of-the-order bat.
Detroit can use all the help they can get on offense. The team ranks 24th in the Majors with a 93 wRC+ and is also fourth-worst with a .367 slugging percentage. Riley Greene, Kevin McGonigle, and Dillon Dingler are all in the 116-138 wRC+ range. Spencer Torkelson is right around league average despite a .208 average and a massive 32.3% strikeout rate. Six other Tigers hitters have taken at least 100 plate appearances. Aside from Carpenter and Torres, Colt Keith (92 wRC+) is the only one approaching respectability. Matt Vierling (77 wRC+), Wenceel Pérez (52), and Zach McKinstry (29) have been dreadful.
All in all, the Tigers have a 22-37 record entering today’s game. That puts them dead last in the weak AL Central and at an 11.0% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. The return of Carpenter is not enough to solve their woes, which have been caused by rotation injuries in addition to the struggling offense. Adding Carpenter and his .502 career slugging percentage will certainly help, but even then, the club would need to play at a 92-win pace the rest of the way just to finish at .500.
The optioning of Workman to the minors is a neat reversal, as he was selected from Triple-A when Carpenter went down on May 10th. The 26-year-old Workman only made 38 plate appearances in those three weeks, and unfortunately, the results were ugly. Workman batted .158/.158/.395 with a 44 wRC+, striking out 16 times and failing to draw a walk. He’s faired much better in Triple-A this year, batting .358/.413/.590 with a 163 wRC+ in 150 plate appearances. That will give him more chances eventually, though he’ll obviously need to hit more if he wants to stick.
Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images
Tigers Place Casey Mize On Injured List
The Tigers placed Casey Mize back on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 28, with right adductor inflammation. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by reliever Beau Brieske, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. That requires the Tigers to open a spot on the 40-man roster, so they transferred southpaw Brant Hurter to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.
Mize has been plagued by right groin discomfort in what has otherwise been a strong year. The former first overall pick was diagnosed with an adductor strain in late April and missed around three weeks. He returned on May 16 and looked sharp in his first couple starts. Mize was pitching well on Wednesday but forced to make an exit after four innings with what appeared to be a new groin injury.
That’s evidently the case, though it’s encouraging that this diagnosis was due to inflammation rather than another strain. It’s unlikely it’ll be an extended absence, yet it’s surely an annoyance for Mize and the team that he’ll need to miss another couple starts. He has arguably been the team’s most valuable pitcher this year thanks to the Tarik Skubal injury.
Mize carries a 2.27 earned run average with a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate across 47 2/3 frames. He’s certainly pitching well enough to earn a second straight All-Star appearance if he could stay healthy. Mize is also an impending free agent who’ll be one of the top non-Skubal options on the open market. Although a pair of minor groin issues probably aren’t going to be a huge blow to his value, they add to the various injuries Mize has faced throughout his career.
Detroit enters this weekend’s road series against the White Sox with a 22-35 record. They’re tied with the Angels for worst in the American League. Mize’s injury won’t change the rotation plans for this series. Troy Melton, Framber Valdez and Keider Montero were lined up for the three-game set. They’ll need a new starter for Monday’s series opener in Tampa Bay. There’s a decent chance that’ll be Ty Madden, who is eligible to return from a forearm contusion this weekend. Madden worked 4 1/3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on Monday and may only need the one minor league tuneup.
Brieske is back to give skipper A.J. Hinch a nine-man bullpen for the weekend. He has been out all season with a left adductor strain. The 28-year-old righty struggled last year while battling ankle and forearm issues. He was a capable middle innings arm from 2023-24.
Hurter is dealing with lumbar spine inflammation. He just went on the IL over the weekend, meaning this transfer rules him out until the second half of July. The 6’6″ southpaw has worked around middling strikeout and walk numbers to manage a 2.84 ERA across 25 1/3 frames.
Tigers Notes: Skubal, Verlander, Mize, Carpenter, Torres, Báez
Left-hander Tarik Skubal is on the injured list but is in the spotlight regardless. He is working his way back from surgery earlier this month to remove a loose body from his elbow. He has already begun throwing. On Tuesday, he threw 40 pitches over three innings in a sim game. He’ll throw another sim game on Monday, per Chris McCosky of Detroit News.
The Tigers are staying away from specific timelines with Skubal, which is understandable. A surgery for loose bodies in a pitcher’s elbow would normally require an absence of three months or so, if not longer. It’s possible Skubal can return quicker but he’s in uncharted waters. His procedure was performed with a device called a NanoNeedle, which is smaller than a traditional arthroscope. A smaller device means a smaller incision and, hopefully, less swelling, pain and recovery time.
It all sounds nice but Skubal is the first MLB player to have surgery with the device, so there’s no track record here. But with Skubal already throwing a few innings, perhaps it’s possible he’s back on a big league mound sooner than would normally be expected. Even returning in July would be quicker than most other surgeries for loose bodies but June doesn’t feel totally out of the question at this point, though it’s worth reiterating that no one really knows for sure how this will play out.
As he goes through the next stages of his recovery, he will be closely watched since the ramifications of his status are huge. It’s well known that Skubal is one of the best pitchers alive. He won the American League Cy Young in each of the past two seasons, with an ERA barely over 2.00 in each of those campaigns.
He is also an impending free agent and the Tigers are floundering without him. When the news of his surgery dropped on May 4th, the Tigers were 18-17 and tied with the Guardians for the lead in the American League Central. They have since gone into freefall and have a record of 22-34, just one game ahead of the basement-dwelling Angels in the A.L. standings. Despite that poor record, the Tigers are only five games out of a playoff spot, due to the general weakness of the A.L. playoff field.
Trade speculation has been swirling around Skubal for a while. A deal in the offseason never seemed especially likely with the Tigers in win-now mode. If they stay down in the standings, then the possibility will increase. The Detroit front office may be left with some difficult decisions in the coming months, depending how the team plays, how other A.L. clubs play and how Skubal’s health proceeds.
For now, they will be focused on getting him back on the mound. And it’s not just Skubal whose health is in focus, as there are a large number of injuries impacting the club. Their rotation is also without Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson and Ty Madden.
Like Skubal, Verlander is on the comeback trail. Verlander made just one start this year before left hip inflammation sent him to the IL. Yesterday, he threw 66 pitches over parts of four innings in a sim game, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. His next step will be a rehab assignment as long as he doesn’t experience any kind of setback in the coming days.
Though it’s encouraging that Skubal and Verlander are making progress, the rotation might take a step back before either of those two can return. Casey Mize only lasted four innings yesterday, departing due to right groin tightness. That’s the same area that sent him to the IL earlier this year, as he spent about three weeks on the shelf from late April until the middle of May. It’s not yet clear if he’ll need to return to the IL this time around.
If the Tigers need to reach further into their depth, they have Sawyer Gipson-Long and Jake Miller on optional assignment. Drew Anderson has been pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen and could perhaps step into the rotation.
On the position player side, there are some guys making good progress. Outfielder Kerry Carpenter and second baseman Gleyber Torres are both going to start rehab assignments in the coming days, per Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group.
Torres has been out for about three weeks due to an oblique strain. Since then, Detroit has mostly been deploying a platoon of Hao-Yu Lee and Zach McKinstry at the keystone, but Lee is hitting .194/.237/.306 and McKinstry .168/.232/.228. Torres had an odd .259/.389/.328 line before hitting the IL, with his walks way up but his power down, but that would be a clear upgrade over what the Tigers are getting from the position now.
Carpenter was striking out a lot but still hitting fairly well before a left AC joint sprain put him on the shelf earlier this month. Getting him back into the designated hitter/corner outfield mix should allow the Tigers to take at-bats away from Wenceel Pérez, who has a .163/.226/.260 line on the year, or Gage Workman and his .167/.167/.417 line.
One guy who apparently won’t be back in the mix soon is Javier Báez, who has already missed a month due to a sprained right ankle. Per Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press, manager A.J. Hinch said this week that Báez’s ankle hasn’t been healing as hoped and he is headed out to see a specialist to try to find more answers.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Tigers Place Kenley Jansen On IL
The Tigers announced that right-hander Kenley Jansen has been placed on the 15-day injured list with pelvic inflammation. Left-hander Drew Sommers has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
Jansen has been dealing with a groin/abdomen issue for a few weeks. The Tigers announced on May 2nd that he had been day to day due to that ailment, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. From April 30th to May 9th, he only made one appearance, giving him a semi-rest period without a trip to the IL.
He was able to pitch for the past few weeks but the issue flared up again last night. He entered the game in the ninth with Detroit up 4-0. He faced three batters and recorded two outs but was laboring and eventually exited after a visit from the trainer. Brenan Hanifee came in to get the final out.
Perhaps due to the injury, Jansen hasn’t been having his best season. Signed to an $11MM deal in the offseason, Jansen has a 4.80 earned run average through 15 innings. His 30.6% strikeout rate is quite good and a big jump from last year’s 24.4% pace but he is also walking 14.5% of batters faced. That’s well above his 7.8% career rate and last year’s 8.1% clip.
Ideally, taking the time to heal up will get him back on track. Though he’s now 38 years old, Jansen has continued to be an effective reliever. He racked up 29 saves for the Angels last year, posting a 2.59 ERA in the process.
Despite his subpar numbers, it’s a blow for the Tigers. They have already been severely set back by injuries, a big reason why they have fallen to 22-34 on the year. Jansen is now the 15th Tiger on the IL. That list includes five relievers, with Beau Brieske, Bailey Horn, Brant Hurter and Burch Smith being the other four.
While Jansen is out, the Tigers will probably look to guys like Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest and Tyler Holton to step up for leverage work. Finnegan has a 1.75 ERA on the year but he’s very fortunate to have that number. His 13.9% strikeout rate is barely half of league average and he has been walking 17.6% of batters faced. The main reason for that ERA is a 94.1% strand rate he won’t be able to sustain. His 5.13 FIP and 5.99 SIERA aren’t optimistic about him keeping his ERA so low.
Vest is in the opposite position, as he has a high 7.88 ERA he doesn’t deserve. His 23.6% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rates are both around average, while his 55.3% ground ball rate is quite strong. A tiny 37.7% strand rate has pushed a bunch of runs across the plate. His 3.88 FIP and 3.38 SIERA suggest he has deserved far better.
Holton’s 4.56 ERA is almost a run higher than last year’s 3.66, which seems to be mostly poor luck. His strikeout, walk and ground ball rates are all pretty similar to last year. The major change is that his batting average on balls in play has jumped to .333 after being at .231 last year.
Turning back to Jansen, his $11MM deal came in the form of a $9MM salary and $2MM buyout on a $12MM club option for 2027, making that a net $10MM decision. That’s roughly around what he got paid this winter, so it would be close to fair value if he were pitching to his usual standards. How he looks when he returns from his injury will impact that decision.
It’s also possible that a team other than the Tigers is making that call. Given the club’s record and position in the standings, it’s possible they go into this summer’s deadline as sellers. Since Jansen isn’t guaranteed anything beyond that buyout, he would be a natural trade candidate, especially since almost all contenders look for bullpen upgrades ahead of the deadline.
Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Acquire Connor Seabold
The Blue Jays announced that they have acquired right-hander Connor Seabold from the Tigers. Detroit, who designated Seabold for assignment a few days ago, gets minor league lefty Juanmi Vasquez in return. Seabold is out of options and will need a spot on the active roster once he joins the team. The Jays opened a 40-man spot by moving José Berríos to the 60-day injured list. Berrios required Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
Seabold, 30, began the season with the Jays on a minor league deal. He came into the year with a career track record of being a swingman, without much success to his name, sporting a 7.79 earned run average in 119 innings.
Back in March, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet profiled Seabold, noting that the Jays had planned on using Seabold as a multi-inning depth option until he showed some increased velocity at the start of camp. He had averaged around 92 miles per hour in his big league career but was suddenly hitting 96 and averaging 94.1 mph this year. He also changed up his breaking pitches with some encouraging developments.
The Jays kept him mostly in a single-inning relief role in spring. He tossed 6 2/3 innings over six Grapefruit League appearances. Allowing five earned runs gave him an unsightly 6.75 ERA but he struck out 13 of the 33 batters he faced, a huge 39.4% clip.
Despite the extra velocity and strikeouts, the Jays couldn’t find a roster spot for him. Seabold triggered an opt-out in his deal and then quickly landed with the Tigers. He gave them 15 2/3 innings over 11 appearances with a 3.45 ERA. His fastball averaged 93.5 mph, a slight drop from spring training but an increase over his previous big league work. Though the ERA was decent, he only struck out 20.3% of batters faced. He got bumped off the roster when Troy Melton came off the 60-day IL.
For the Jays, they didn’t have a spot for Seabold in March but there’s a lot more breathing room on the roster now. Since the season started, they have lost Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Lazaro Estrada, Max Scherzer, Joe Mantiply and Tommy Nance to the injured list.
It’s unclear whether the Jays plan to use Seabold as a multi-inning option or as more of a traditional reliever. They could use help in both areas. Thanks to the rotation injuries, they currently only have three true starters in Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Patrick Corbin. They’ve been doing a bullpen game every five days with Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles taking on bulk innings. With Cease recently hitting the IL, there’s another hole to fill.
Seabold could perhaps get stretched out but the relief corps also needs help. Thanks to those bullpen games, and the injuries to Nance and Mantiply, the current group has been heavily used. Someone will have to be bumped off when Seabold is added. Chase Lee and Adam Macko have options and could be candidates. Yariel Rodríguez and Austin Voth aren’t optionable but could end up designated for assignment.
More moves are probably coming for the Toronto pitching staff. They have Shane Bieber rehabbing, so he could be in the mix in the next few weeks. Maybe Cease or Scherzer can get healthy in the near future. Perhaps they will call up someone like Chad Dallas for a spot start or two. For now, Seabold will hopefully be useful in bridging the gap.
To get Seabold, the Jays are giving up a bit of long-term depth, though Vasquez isn’t really a top prospect. He’s 22 years old and hasn’t climbed higher than the High-A level. He can get strikeouts but control is an issue. He has 33 High-A innings under his belt between last year and this year with a 6.00 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate but a 15% walk rate. The Tigers will hope he harnesses his stuff a bit better going forward and they have some time to help him out. He won’t be Rule 5 eligible until after the 2027 season.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Gage Jump, Tigers Trade Speculation, And The Twins’ Roster Shuffle
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Athletics promoting Gage Jump (2:15)
- The Tigers dropping in the standings as Tarik Skubal nears free agency (12:00)
- A listener asks what the Tigers could get if they traded Casey Mize or Riley Greene (19:30)
- A listener asks if the struggles of the Tigers have put Scott Harris and A.J. Hinch on the hot seat (25:00)
- The Twins losing Ryan Jeffers to hamate surgery (28:45)
- A listener asks if the Twins should extend Joe Ryan and, if not, what he could get in a trade. Also, does Royce Lewis have any trade value? (37:00)
- The Red Sox looking for more offense while they lose Trevor Story to hernia surgery and move Marcelo Mayer to shortstop (45:55)
- Listeners ask if the Padres can trade Jake Cronenworth or Fernando Tatis Jr. (51:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros – listen here
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Dennis Lee, Imagn Images
Tigers Designate Connor Seabold For Assignment, Activate Troy Melton
The Tigers announced that right-hander Connor Seabold has been designated for assignment. The move opens up space on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters for the return of righty Troy Melton, who has been activated from the 60-day injured list to start Game 2 of today’s doubleheader against the Orioles. Prior to Game 1, Detroit also placed left-hander Brant Hurter on the 15-day IL (retroactive to May 23) due to lumbar spine inflammation, and right-hander Ricky Vanasco was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Seabold signed a split deal with the Tigers just before the start of the season, and soon after the righty was released from a previous minor league contract with the Blue Jays. While Seabold broke camp with his new club, a big chunk of his time in Motown has been spent on the injured list, as he missed a little under three weeks recovering from ankle inflammation.
When healthy, Seabold has been pretty effective coming out of the pen, with a 3.45 ERA, 20.3% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate over 15 2/3 innings. While other Tigers relievers have minor league options and Seabold doesn’t, he may have just been the victim of a roster crunch, as a 40-man spot was needed for Melton’s return.
Detroit now faces the possibility that Seabold is claimed away on waivers, or elects free agency if he clears waivers and is then outrighted (Seabold has been outrighted in the past, giving him the ability to decline future outright assignments). Seabold has a 7.28 ERA across his 134 2/3 career innings in the Show, but teams in need of immediate relief help may be swayed by his recent performance, or a slight uptick in velocity to 93.5mph from his previous 92.5mph career average.
After developing elbow inflammation during Spring Training, Melton is finally set to make his 2026 debut. The Tigers initially planned to use Melton as a reliever or swingman this season, but due to multiple injuries within the rotation, Melton will now step right into starting duty. The righty made his MLB debut in 2025 and posted a 2.76 ERA, 20K%, and 8.3BB% over his first 45 2/3 innings as a big leaguer, starting four of his 16 regular-season games.
Just as one pitcher gets healthy, however, Detroit’s seemingly nonstop parade of pitching injuries continues with Hurter’s IL placement. Hurter has a 2.84 ERA over 25 1/3 relief innings this season, despite very modest strikeout (17.8%) and walk (11.9%) rates. The groundball specialist is generating grounders at a 60.3% clip, and Hurter is getting a lot of benefit from a tiny .203 BABIP.
Paul DeJong To Undergo Hamstring Surgery
6:51pm: Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that DeJong suffered a hamstring injury that’ll require season-ending surgery.
5:45pm: It appears that Paul DeJong, who recently signed a minor league deal with the Tigers, is done for the year. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens have placed him on the full-season injured list, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.
An injury isn’t listed but it’s likely something related to his lower body. DeJong last appeared in a game on May 12th. In that game, he was visibly limping around the bases to score a run, as seen in this clip from Tigers ML Report.
It will unfortunately be a second straight injury-marred season for DeJong. Last year, he missed over two months after a fastball hit him in the face and caused several fractures. He was limited to just 57 games with the Nationals and didn’t perform especially well when he was on the field.
He had to settle for a minor league deal with the Yankees coming into 2026. He hit well for their Triple-A club for a while. He was held back by a .167 batting average on balls in play but hit six home runs in 83 plate appearances, leading to a lopsided .203/.361/.516 line and 123 wRC+.
He opted out of that deal and was able to secure a fresh minor league deal with the Tigers, which was a pretty decent landing spot considering they had some injured infielders. But in just his sixth game with the Mud Hens, he was bitten by the injury bug himself and will apparently miss the remainder of the campaign.
Assuming he can get healthy for the 2027 season, he should be able to secure another minor league deal somewhere. DeJong strikes out a ton but hits home runs and is a solid shortstop defender, with the ability to play other positions as well. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has been punched out in 32.1% of his 1,327 plate appearances but has hit 50 homers in that time.
For the Tigers, as mentioned, they have been dealing with a number of infield injuries. Gleyber Torres, Trey Sweeney and Javier Báez are all on the IL at the moment. Due to those injuries and others, the club went out and added DeJong for extra depth. With DeJong no longer available, that could prompt them to find a way to bring in someone else.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images