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Tigers Recall Dawel Lugo

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The Tigers have called up infielder Dawel Lugo, per a club announcement. He’ll take the roster spot created when the team optioned out third baseman Jeimer Candelario.

In addition to stepping into Candelario’s roster spot, Lugo will evidently also take over as the team’s regular third baseman. Manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters, including MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter link), that the organization is “bringing [Lugo] up here to play, not to sit.”

The 24-year-old Lugo had a crack at the majors last year, but struggled to a .213/.267/.309 slash in 101 plate appearances. He also didn’t hit much at Triple-A last year, finishing the season with a marginal .269/.283/.350 batting line and just three long balls in 523 plate appearances.

That was a disappointing showing for a player who had finished the prior two campaigns with double-digit dinger tallies. The Tigers were obviously hoping for more when they acquired Lugo from the Diamondbacks as a significant part of the return for star slugger J.D. Martinez.

Lugo still opened the year rated as the 17th-best player on the Tigers’ farm. And he has ticked up quite a bit in the early going. Through 140 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo, Lugo carries a .341/.393/.468 slash with a pair of long balls. He has walked at a 7.9% rate — hardly elite, but better than he has ever shown over a full season. Lugo is succeeding mostly by stinging the ball to the tune of a .402 batting average on balls in play. He won’t sustain that sort of level over a full season in the bigs. It’ll be interesting to see whether he can keep trending up in the walk department and make enough good contact to be a productive big-league hitter.

Tigers Option Jeimer Candelario

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The Tigers announced after tonight’s game that they’ve optioned third baseman Jeimer Candelario to Triple-A Toledo. A corresponding roster move will be announced tomorrow, per the team.

It’s a disappointing turn of events for the 25-year-old Candelario, whom the Tigers hoped could solidify himself as their third baseman of the future. Acquired in the 2017 trade that sent Justin Wilson to the Cubs, Candelario burst onto the scene in Detroit late that summer, hitting .330/.406/.468 down in 106 plate appearances down the stretch. While the 2018 season was an uneven one for the switch-hitter, he still managed to swat 19 homers, 28 doubles and three triples.

The 2019 season simply hasn’t been a good one for Candelario, who went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in tonight’s game. He’s hitting .192/.285/.288 with a still-strong 10.9 percent walk rate but an elevated 27.9 percent strikeout rate. More troubling is that Candelario’s power has simply evaporated. He’s hitting more line-drives and fly-balls than he did in 2018 but hasn’t seen the corresponding uptick in exit velocity or hard-hit rate that one would prefer to accompany such trends.

With Candelario down in Toledo for a reset, the door will open for hot-hitting Ronny Rodriguez to see more reps at third base. The 27-year-old utilityman has turned in a blistering .296/.341/.667 batting line with six homers, eight doubles and a pair of triples through just 88 plate appearances since joining the Tigers this year. He’s seen action all around the infield, but the demotion of Candelario opens a clear path to regular at-bats and a regular position for Detroit should they prefer to provide him with a more stable role. Of course, Rodriguez has thrived in a jack-of-all-trades capacity, so it’s possible that while he’ll see an uptick in time at the hot corner he’ll still also be used to spell others around the infield.

Tigers Release Cameron Rupp

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The Tigers released Cameron Rupp from Triple-A Toledo earlier this week, as per the International League’s transactions page.  According to MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter link), Rupp became expendable after catching prospect Jake Rogers was promoted from Double-A to Toledo, and veteran Bobby Wilson returned from injury.

After receiving regular work behind the plate for the Phillies in 2015-17, Rupp has spent the last 14 months on a whirlwind tour of different organizations as he looks for a path back to the big leagues.  Since being released by Philadelphia in March 2018, Rupp has been a member of five different teams (the Rangers, Twins, Mariners, Giants, and Tigers) on minor league assignments.  Most recently, San Francisco dealt him to Detroit for cash considerations in March as the Tigers looked to add some veteran catching depth in Spring Training.

Rupp’s defense and pitch-framing has never been particularly highly rated, though he does possess some decent power, particularly for a catcher.  The 30-year-old has 39 homers and a career .234/.298/.407 over 1127 Major League plate appearances, all with the Phillies.

Tigers Place Tyson Ross On Injured List

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May 13: Manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters today that Ross isn’t feeling any better and could schedule an examination with the same surgeon who performed his initial thoracic outlet surgery (Twitter link via MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery).

May 12: The Tigers have placed right-handed starter Tyson Ross on the 10-day injured list, reports Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. It’s a nerve issue in his right elbow that will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future.

Certainly, this development is most unwelcome for a Detroit ballclub that has already endured several injuries to starting pitchers. Michael Fulmer and Matt Moore are both sidelined for the remainder of the season, and Jordan Zimmermann recently joined them on the injured list. With Ross joining them, the Tigers will be pressed to find solutions from within the organization.

Of course, those losses have been mitigated by the performances of Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull, each of whom has dazzled with dynamic strikeout stuff, emerging as the most productive Tigers starters. Daniel Norris has joined the rotation in the wake of the slew of injuries, though there appears to be a dearth of options behind the existing slate of starters.

Ross has endured a season of inconsistencies thus far in 2019, posting a lackluster 6.11 ERA in his first 7 starts. His 1.39 K:BB ratio has been unimpressive, as walks have once again inhibited Ross’s success. It’s an unfortunate break for Ross, who struggled through a frustrating start in Saturday’s matchup with the Twins, allowing six runs in five-plus innings. It’s unclear just how serious the nerve issue is, or how long it will keep Ross on the shelf, but the outlook is certainly not a rosy one for the Tigers.

Tigers Notes: Castellanos, Harrison, Hardy

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As Tigers legend Lou Whitaker celebrates his 62nd birthday today, let’s look at some news from Motown…

  • Trade rumors have swirled around Nicholas Castellanos for well over a year, and the outfielder admitted to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News that he has been left feeling “uneasy” from the constant speculation.  The piece provides an interesting look into the mindset of a player who knows he is in something of a limbo state, no longer in the long term plans of the team with whom he has spent his entire pro career.  “You do everything you can to not let it affect you. If I am going to say it doesn’t affect me, I’d be lying,” Castellanos said.  “I’d be giving you a media answer. The only thing I can control is going out and handling my business for me and take each at-bat the best I can for me.  And in doing that, I can help the team win.”  Whereas Castellanos embraced a face-of-the-franchise type of responsibility as a public and private team leader last season, McCosky notes that Castellanos has somewhat stepped back from those duties in 2019.  “He’s knows he’s a lame-duck right fielder, and as such no longer HAS the obligation or the right to play that role,” McCosky writes.
  • Josh Harrison will return from the injured list prior to tomorrow’s game, as per a team announcement.  The Tigers have already optioned Harold Castro back to Triple-A in order to create a 25-man roster spot.  Harrison has spent two weeks on the IL recovering from a left shoulder contusion.  The infielder signed a one-year, $2MM deal with Detroit over the winter and has often been mentioned as a possible deadline trade chip, though Harrison will first need to greatly improve on his .156/.212/.233 slash line from his first 99 PA in a Tigers uniform.
  • The Tigers activated left-hander Blaine Hardy from the injured list on Saturday, though as Hardy told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other media, he isn’t entirely recovered from the left flexor tendinitis that shelved him for over two weeks.  “I have a feeling it’s something I’m going to have to learn to pitch through,” Hardy said.  “It’s just at a point now where it’s not affecting my pitching….You have to be able to get through those times when you don’t feel 100 percent, whether it’s from sickness, minor injury or tendinitis. The majority of the guys up here have done it before and know how to deal with it.”  Pitching through such an injury carries risk, of course, though Hardy said that “I don’t think, from what everybody’s telling me, that [surgery] is the route this is going.”  The southpaw got off to a rocky start (5.54 ERA in 13 innings) this season, a year removed from posting from quality numbers as a swingman in Detroit’s pitching staff.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/12/19

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Keeping up with this weekend’s minor moves…

Latest transactions:

  • The Pirates outrighted left-hander Tyler Lyons to Triple-A Indianapolis, as per MLB.com’s official transactions page.  Lyons cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week.  This is the second time in as many seasons that Lyons has been outrighted, as he was also removed from the Cardinals’ 40-man roster last August in the midst of an injury-plagued year that saw Lyons post an 8.64 ERA over 16 2/3 frames for St. Louis.  After signing a minors deal with Pittsburgh over the winter, Lyons didn’t turn things around in a brief stint for the Bucs, with an 11.25 ERA over four Major League innings.  The southpaw did perform better in Triple-A, however, and will head back to the farm to try and recapture the form that made him a solid-to-very good bullpen piece for the Cardinals from 2013-17.

Earlier today:

  • The Tigers outrighted right-hander Drew VerHagen to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday after he cleared waivers, per a team announcement. Because VerHagen has been outrighted in the past, he could have declined the assignment. He chose to accept it, however, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. Detroit kicked VerHagen off its 40-man roster again last weekend when it designated him for assignment after a calamitous performance versus Kansas City. The Royals pounded VerHagen for six earned runs on five hits and three walks in one inning, contributing to the 28-year-old’s hefty 15.00 ERA across six frames this season. VerHagen entered the year with a sub-5.00 ERA/FIP across 141 major league innings, though, and has been a useful arm at the Triple-A level.
  • The Diamondbacks have released infielder Kelby Tomlinson from his minor-league deal, reports MLBTR’s own Steve Adams. After signing with the D-Backs last offseason, Tomlinson has posted just a .596 OPS at the Triple-A level in 2019, failing to crack the big league roster, which would have earned him a $850K salary. In a Major League career spanning parts of four seasons, the 29-year-old owns a career .265/.331/.332 slash line to go with 19 stolen bases. Though the numbers are not especially impressive, Tomlinson is capable of handling three infield positions and played sparingly in left field with the Giants.

Tigers Select Nick Ramirez, Promote Gregory Soto

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The Tigers have selected the contract of southpaw Nick Ramirez, per a club announcement. He’ll take the place of the optioned Zac Reininger. The club had an open 40-man slot to work with.

Ramirez will be joined imminently by fellow lefty Gregory Soto. As Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News first reported on Twitter, the 24-year-old is slated for a call-up. He’s expected to start tomorrow.

It has been a long and winding road to this point for Ramirez, who reaches the majors for the first time just before his 30th birthday. A fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft, the Cal State Fullerton product had to switch from hitting to pitching in order to finally break through.

Though Ramirez’s move to the mound showed promise at times with the Brewers, his original organization, he didn’t show enough of a spark to force his way up. He ended up landing in the Detroit organization on a minors pact over the offseason.

Ramirez has had an intriguing start to the season. He’s working as a starter for the first time and showing newfound strikeout potential. Through 23 1/3 innings (covering two Triple-A and three Double-A starts), Ramirez carries a 2.31 ERA with 11.6 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9.

As for Soto, he has thrown just three games above the High-A level, all coming this year at Double-A. He’s a power pitcher who needs to hone his command, which he has done in the early going this year. Soto is hardly the class of this farm system’s impressive crop of hurlers, but he did get top-30 organizational billing from MLB.com. Since he’s on the 40-man roster already, the Tigers will make use of him for a spot start, though it seems likely he’ll be sent back down thereafter.

James Shields Reportedly Drawing Interest

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TODAY: Shields says he has also given a look to scouts for the Yankees and Orioles, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription link). To this point, though, Shields says he has yet to receive a “formal offer.”

It’s hard to believe that no teams were willing to sign Shields to a minor-league deal; reading between the lines, it may simply be that they didn’t bother based upon the indications given by his reps at PSI Sports Management. There does seem to be reason to believe that Shields is looking for a 40-man roster spot upon signing. His salary demands are not fully known. “I definitely am not asking for an outrageous salary,” he says, “but I would want to be treated fairly for what I do and bring to a ball club.”

YESTERDAY: Free agent righty James Shields is drawing increased interest, according to a report from MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. He has thrown recently for teams including the Tigers, Indians and Rangers.

It’s not entirely clear whether those three organizations maintain ongoing interest after watching the veteran hurler. But it seems all but certain that some team will ultimately pick up the durable and experienced 37-year-old.

Shields is obviously not the excellent rotation piece he once was, but he’s the type of steadying presence that could make quite a bit of sense for the right team. Still, his market has been quiet to the point of nonexistence thus far, at least in terms of public reporting.

Last year, Shields worked to a 4.53 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. Those are middling numbers, but it must be noted that Shields compiled them over 204 2/3 frames — a rather hefty tally in this day and age.

It’s possible to imagine a variety of scenarios making sense for Shields. Non-competitive teams may like the idea of slotting him in to gobble up innings and set the tone for younger teammates. And some contenders may even contemplate Shields as a gap-filler or limited-inning starter. He was hit hardest the third (.248/.310/.461 in 252 plate appearances) and fourth (.444/.474/.944 in 19 plate appearances) times through the order last year. Limiting that exposure, perhaps by pairing Shields with a lefty long man, could enhance his usefulness.

Tigers Designate Drew VerHagen For Assignment

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SUNDAY: Detroit has recalled righty Eduardo Jimenez from Toledo to replace VerHagen on its 25-man roster.

SATURDAY: The Tigers have designated right-hander Drew VerHagen for assignment, Jason Beck of MLB.com was among those to report. Detroit has since announced the move, adding that it will make a corresponding transaction Sunday.

The 28-year-old VerHagen has spent his entire pro career with the Tigers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. But VerHagen’s Tigers tenure may have ended Saturday in a 15-3 humiliation against Kansas City, which throttled him for six earned runs on five hits and three walks in just an inning of work. Even before that disastrous outing, VerHagen began the season in rough fashion. He has now allowed 10 ER on 10 hits and 10 walks, with seven strikeouts, in six frames.

Although VerHagen throws fairly hard and has induced groundballs at a 54.2 percent clip in 146 major league innings, he entered Saturday with an unimpressive 4.87 ERA/4.80 FIP and 6.9 K/9 against 3.64 BB/9 as a Tiger. While VerHagen has almost exclusively pitched as a reliever in Detroit, he has worked mostly as a starter with its Triple-A affiliate in Toledo. VerHagen has been solid in 64 appearances and 44 starts there, having pitched to a 3.89 ERA with familiar strikeout and walk rates (6.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9) across 268 2/3 frames.

AL Central Notes: Boyd, Indians, Mize, Sox, Cease

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Matthew Boyd elevated his stock considerably with a strong start to the season and a heavier reliance on four-seamers and sliders, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently took a look at whether the Tigers might be open to trading the 28-year-old lefty. While the rebuilding Detroit club likely isn’t in a position to wholly refuse offers on virtually anyone on the roster, the Tigers do have a preference if they’re to move Boyd, Rosenthal reports. Given the glut of young pitching in the upper minors, the team’s ideal trade package for Boyd would center around a controllable young hitter with substantial upside. The Tigers needn’t feel compelled to move Boyd either this summer or even in the 2019-20 offseason, as he’s still controlled for another three seasons, but his improvements thus far appear more legitimate than many early-season, small-sample success stories. It’s easy to imagine that he’s already more appealing to other clubs than he was a month ago, and even if the Tigers ultimately hang onto him, Boyd will surely be one of the most sought-after arms in the game this summer if he maintains his early output.

Here’s more from the American League Central…

  • Right-hander Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, tossed a no-hitter in his Double-A debut following a midweek promotion, but the Tigers aren’t planning to accelerate his timeline to the Major Leagues based on that dominant effort, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “[General manager Al Avila] has told me, ’Don’t even look at them,'” manager Ron Gardenhire tells McCosky of Mize and fellow top pitching prospects Matt Manning and Alex Faedo. “So, I am happy they’re doing well, but they are not in my thoughts.” Both Avila and assistant GM David Chadd were present to watch Mize’s one-walk, no-hitter live and will watch Faedo an Manning this week as well. However, McCosky notes that the pair isn’t getting live looks at those young arms with an eye toward a near-term promotion. Faedo has just 89 innings above A-ball, while Manning has just 39 1/3.
  • The Indians left themselves little margin for error this past offseason and are now paying the price, writes Zack Meisel of The Athletic (subscription required). Cleveland pinned its hopes on a dominant rotation but is already down Mike Clevinger and Corey Kluber. While the former is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a teres major strain, he can’t be activated until June 7 given his placement on the 60-day injured list, and there’s no timeline yet for the latter. As far as in-house alternatives, Adam Plutko is still working his way back from a forearm issue, leaving Jefry Rodriguez as the de facto fourth starter and a collection of question marks behind him in the fifth slot. Chih-Wei Hu and non-roster journeyman Asher Wojciechowski are perhaps the likeliest fifth options for an Indians club that currently faces a three-game deficit in the division.
  • Although Tommy John surgery is “on the table” as an option for injured White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon, his health won’t impact top prospect Dylan Cease’s timeline to the big leagues, general manager Rick Hahn told reporters Thursday (link via LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune). “[N]o one is going to be promoted to Chicago simply because there’s a need in Chicago,” said Hahn, stressing that Cease or any other prospect will only be promoted when the player’s development dictates a promotion. “(Cease’s) timeline is not in any way affected by anything that happens with Carlos. It’s only going to be affected by what happens with (Cease).” The 23-year-old Cease, who entered the year as a consensus Top 50 prospect in the game, has done a good job making an early case for a big league debut. Through 24 1/3 innings at Triple-A, he’s pitched to a 3.33 ERA with a 30-to-7 K/BB ratio and a 55.1 percent ground-ball rate.
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