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Tigers Announce Several Transactions, Finalize Opening Day Roster

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The Tigers announced a landslide of roster moves Wednesday as they set their Opening Day roster. Most notable among them is the formal selection of top prospect Spencer Torkelson’s contract. It was already known that Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 draft and a consensus top-five prospect in all of baseball, would make the Opening Day roster, but his promotion to the big leagues is now official.

Detroit also selected the contracts of right-handers Drew Hutchison, Jacob Barnes and Will Vest. In a series of corresponding 40-man roster moves, Detroit designated left-hander Miguel Del Pozo for assignment and placed catcher Jake Rogers (recovering from Tommy John surgery), Spencer Turnbull (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Jose Cisnero (strained right shoulder) on the 60-day injured list.

The Tigers also announced an additional series of placements on the 10-day injured list: lefty Andrew Chafin (groin strain), outfielder Derek Hill (hamstring strain) and righty Kyle Funkhouser (shoulder strain) are all beginning the season on the 10-day IL. Top outfield prospect Riley Greene is being placed on the minor league injured list after fracturing his foot late in Spring Training. The Tigers also announced that righty Elvin Rodriguez made the roster over infielder Willi Castro, and the team has assigned veteran right-handers Chase Anderson (Triple-A) and Wily Peralta (Class-A Advanced) to minor league affiliates to begin the year.

None of Hutchison, Vest or Barnes has an extensive track record of big league success, but they’ve all logged MLB action in the past and will give Detroit some bullpen depth early in the season, particularly while Cisnero sits out at least the first two months of the season mending a shoulder injury. That absence is perhaps the most surprising revelation in today’s sequence of moves. Cisnero was behind schedule to start camp and felt some discomfort in his most recent outing, but prior to today’s announcement there was no indication he’d require such a lengthy absence. It’s a notable loss for the Tigers, given the 32-year-old’s 3.45 ERA, 24 holds and four saves over the past two seasons.

Chafin, who signed a two-year, $13MM contract with an opt-out after the 2022 season will hope for a minimal absence. There’s been no indication from the club that he’s expected to require a long stay on the IL, but he’s been trending toward a 10-day placement since originally experiencing pain at the end of March. Hill has also been ailing since the final day of March, so his move to the IL doesn’t rate as much of a surprise.

As for the 29-year-old Del Pozo, he lasted the offseason on Detroit’s 40-man roster after allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks with four punchouts during a brief Detroit debut late in the 2021 campaign. He’s allowed a total of 20 runs in 18 1/3 Major League innings, however, and didn’t help his cause this spring when he appeared in two games and was tagged for a combined five runs in just one inning of work. Detroit will have a week to trade him or try to pass him through outright waivers.

Veterans Anderson and Peralta will give the Tigers some pitching depth in the minors to begin the season. Anderson joined the club on a minor league deal in mid-March and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in five innings during camp. He’s struggled substantially in the Majors across the past two seasons but from 2014-19 was a solid back-of-the-rotation arm, logging a combined 3.94 ERA in 857 innings between the D-backs and Brewers.

Peralta seems even likelier to be added to the big league roster, despite his assignment to a Class-A affiliate. The right-hander had a strong showing in Detroit last year after signing a minor league pact, pitching to a 3.07 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) — a total of 93 2/3 innings. But Peralta was slow to get to camp, owing to visa issues, and he’ll remain at the Tigers’ Lakeland facility, where their High-A team plays, as he builds up toward game readiness. Peralta didn’t make it to Tigers camp until this past weekend and didn’t have time to get into an official spring game, but once he’s built up he’ll be an option to join the club’s rotation or pitch in a long-relief role.

Tigers, Spencer Turnbull Agree To Two-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration

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The Tigers announced this afternoon they’ve agreed to terms with starter Spencer Turnbull on a two-year contract. The deal doesn’t affect his window of club control, but it will prevent the team and player from worrying about arbitration hearings for the next couple seasons. Turnbull will still be arb-eligible in 2024. That’s his final season before hitting free agency.

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press reports the terms (on Twitter). He’ll make $1.5MM this season, followed by a $2.15MM salary in 2023. The deal also contains $125K in possible performance bonuses for the latter campaign. Prior to the extension, Turnbull had filed for a $2.1MM salary while the club had filed at $1.325MM. The right-hander settles at a figure nearer the team’s asking price this year, but he’ll see a bump towards his desired number for the following campaign.

In all likelihood, Turnbull wouldn’t have been in position to net much of a raise next winter had he proceeded through arbitration. The 29-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last July. He has expressed optimism this spring about returning to the big leagues late in the season, but a best-case scenario would probably see him back in short stints for the final few weeks of the year.

The forearm tightness that necessitated that procedure marked an unfortunate end to what had been shaping up as a productive season. Through nine starts, Turnbull owned a 2.88 ERA. His 21.9% strikeout rate was a couple ticks below average, but he racked up ground-balls at a huge 57.2% clip in that time. It was the second straight productive season for Turnbull, who posted a 3.97 ERA in 56 2/3 frames during the condensed 2020 season.

For the upcoming season, Detroit looks likely to rely on Eduardo Rodríguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning and Michael Pineda as the starting five. Wily Peralta and Tyler Alexander are the top depth options thereafter for manager A.J. Hinch. If healthy, Turnbull will certainly return to the rotation in 2023.

Tigers Notes: Turnbull, Torkelson, Greene, Barnhart

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Spencer Turnbull was off to a strong start to the 2021 season, working 50 innings of 2.88 ERA ball with a massive 57.2% ground-ball rate over his first nine starts — one of which was a no-hitter against the Mariners. After those productive first two months, the right-hander landed on the injured list with what was originally termed a forearm strain. Early reports indicated that Turnbull may be able to avoid a long-term absence, but it emerged in mid-July that he’d torn his UCL and required Tommy John surgery. That procedure obviously ended his season and its timing cast his 2022 campaign in similar doubt. TJS procedures often require around 14 months of rehab time, raising a question of whether the University of Alabama product will be available at all this year.

Speaking with Chris McCosky of the Detroit News this afternoon, Turnbull expressed optimism about his chances of making it back to the majors late in the season. He tells McCosky he’s been throwing on flat ground for the past few weeks and generally feels his arm is progressing well. Like other players rehabbing from injury, he’s been unable to communicate with team personnel during the lockout. Turnbull described the situation as “weird” and “not ideal” but maintained he’s confident in the non-Tigers medical staff currently leading his recovery. The 29-year-old is controllable through 2024 via arbitration and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a modest $1.8MM salary this season.

More out of Detroit:

  • The delay to Opening Day puts the Tigers in an odd position with top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, writes Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Both were expected to be in the mix for Opening Day roster spots, but the season’s delay will now likely push Major League Spring Training back to the point where it overlaps with the Triple-A season. The Tigers could be faced with pulling the pair from a more competitive setting in Triple-A to fly them back down to Florida for exhibition play — and then perhaps disrupting their season by sending them back to Toledo (where the team’s Triple-A affiliate plays) if either player is ultimately reassigned. It’s not a situation that’s unique to the Tigers, and one could even argue that Detroit is in an advantageous position, given that their two best prospects — both considered Top 10 throughout all of MLB — are both off the 40-man roster. The fact that neither is on the 40-man yet means that both are at least able to work out with team staff at their spring facility in Lakeland. Still, the organization faced a potentially difficult decision in the first place, and the delay to Opening Day adds another layer. Stavenhagen also has quotes from both players on the matter and some general observations from minicamp.
  • The Tigers kicked off their offseason by acquiring backstop Tucker Barnhart from the Reds. The seven-year veteran has taken on an active role in the MLB Players Association for the bulk of his career, and he’s been involved in the union’s efforts during this stage of collective bargaining talks. Barnhart spoke with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press in the wake of the league’s announcement Tuesday that it was canceling the first two series of the regular season. The two-time Gold Glove winner, who wasn’t attending this week’s negotiations in-person, admitted he woke up Tuesday morning believing the parties would finalize a new CBA in time to avoid that outcome based on the optimistic reports that had trickled out the night before. However, Barnhart says he learned Tuesday morning that while the previous night’s discussions had made some progress, the gaps hadn’t been closed as much as had seemed — a common refrain echoed by many on the players’ side. He and Petzold discuss the various issues that remain to be sorted out.

Tigers Select Elvin Rodriguez

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The Detroit Tigers have announced that they have selected right-handed pitcher Elvin Rodriguez to their 40-man roster. Additionally, Tucker Barnhart, recently acquired in a trade with the Reds, had his club option for 2022 selected. Three players were also reinstated from the 60-day IL: catcher Jake Rogers and righties Rony Garcia and Spencer Turnbull.

Rodriguez was originally brought over to the organization as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Justin Upton to the Angels. At the time of the trade, he was only 19 and pitching in A-ball. Since that time, he has climbed through the Tigers’ system, reaching Triple-A this year. Baseball America ranked him as the #18 prospect in the organization in 2020, but he didn’t crack the 2021 list. FanGraphs ranked him at #30 in the Tigers’ system last year and #35 this year.

The righty, who turns 24 in March, made 18 starts at the Double-A level this year, logging 75 2/3 innings. His 5.83 ERA certainly doesn’t seem impressive, but it came with a solid 24.2% strikeout rate and average-ish 8.8% walk rate. After his season in Double-A, he was promoted to Triple-A for a single two-inning appearance in October. The club has a solid core of young hurlers in their rotation, with Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning being the headline names. Rodriguez will likely start the year in Triple-A and try to force his way into the big league picture as the season goes on.

The other transactions were mere formalities. There is no IL in the offseason, meaning all players on the 60-day IL have to be reinstated and retake their roster spots, with today being the deadline to do so. Barnhart was just acquired in a trade a few days ago, making it a lock that his option would be exercised by the club.

Spencer Turnbull To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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The Tigers’ rotation received some brutal news, as manager A.J. Hinch announced to reporters that right-hander Spencer Turnbull will require Tommy John surgery (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). The surgery will end Turnbull’s 2021 season and keep him out for the majority of the 2022 season as well.

It’s awful news for the player and a major blow to the Tigers as they begin to look toward turning the corner from their rebuild. The 28-year-old Turnbull established himself as an MLB-caliber hurler back in 2019 and has steadily improved since — culminating in this year’s no-hitter against the Mariners. Prior to landing on the injured list, he’d pitched to a 2.88 ERA with a below-average 21.9 percent strikeout rate, an excellent 6.0 percent walk rate and a huge 57.2 percent ground-ball rate. Dating back to 2019, Turnbull owns a 4.13 ERA in 255 innings.

The Tigers control Turnbull through the 2024 season, so there’s plenty of time for him to return to health and still make an impact with the club — if not in 2022 then certainly in 2023. In the meantime, he’ll head into his first trip through arbitration this winter with a strong but brief platform showing. He won’t have much of a chance in 2022 to build up innings and make a case for a substantial raise, making the injury a particularly poorly timed one from a financial perspective.

It’s also possible that were Turnbull healthy and continuing to thrive, as he had earlier this season, the Tigers would’ve been overwhelmed by a trade offer from a pitching-starved contender. Starting pitching is at a premium every year, but the supply is particularly thin in 2021 — and demand could be more robust than in a typical season. With three-plus years of club control remaining, the price would’ve been sky-high, but today’s injuries effectively removes the possibility altogether.

Tigers Make Four Roster Moves

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The Tigers made a quartet of roster moves today, including the reinstatement of utilityman Niko Goodrum from the 10-day injured list.  Goodrum will replace Daz Cameron, who is headed to the 10-day IL (retroactive to July 5) due to a right toe sprain.  Left-hander Ian Krol will join the roster after his contract was selected from Triple-A, and righty Spencer Turnbull was moved to the 60-day IL to accommodate Krol on the 40-man roster.

Turnbull’s situation appears somewhat ominous, as Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that the right-hander had a setback in his recovery from a forearm strain.  That injury was initially thought to be a relatively minor muscular issue rather than a structural problem within Turnbull’s forearm, but he will now undergo further examination.  The 60-day IL timeframe begins from the start of Turnbull’s first placement on the 10-day IL, though while he’ll be able to return to Detroit’s rotation in early August, even that target date seems fluid if a more serious forearm problem is detected.

Goodrum hit the injured list on June 19 due to a tendon injury within his finger, which seemed concerning enough that Hinch said Goodrum was planning to consult with several hand specialists.  Fortunately, Goodrum has been able to return to the lineup after only a few weeks, and he will now return in his old utilityman role, Hinch said.  Goodrum has mostly worked as the Tigers’ starting shortstop for the last two seasons, and the more regular usage led to a marked dropoff in his production at the plate after roughly league-average numbers in 2018-19.

Krol hasn’t pitched in the majors since a single appearance with the Angels during the 2018 season, as the southpaw bounced around on minor league contracts with the Mets, Reds, Twins, and Tigers (plus a stint in independent ball last season) before finally getting another crack at the big leagues this season.  Krol has a 4.50 ERA over 190 career MLB innings from 2013-18, which included 60 2/3 innings in a prior stint with Detroit in 2014-15.

AL Injury Notes: Gleyber, Boyd, Turnbull, White

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Gleyber Torres made an early exit from tonight’s game due to what the Yankees described as stiffness in his left lower back.  The shortstop will receive further examination tomorrow, when the Yankees return to the Bronx to open a three-game series with the Athletics.  Torres took an awkward fall while fielding a Bo Bichette grounder in the third inning, and was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the top half of the fourth.

Torres has hit .260/.342/.344 over 244 plate appearances this season, working his way back up to close to league-average production (96 wRC+) after a rough April, and also a week-long absence in May due to a positive COVID-19 test.  He also has a +3.7 UZR/150 and -2 Defensive Runs Saved over 505 2/3 innings at shortstop, a significant improvement with the glove after his shortstop defense has been such a point of criticism.  If Torres’ back problem is serious enough to merit a visit to the injured list, Tyler Wade or Gio Urshela are the likely choices to step in at shortstop, with DJ LeMahieu or Miguel Andujar capable of stepping in at third base if Urshela changes positions.

More on other injury situations from around the American League…

  • Matt Boyd will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for an examination of the Tigers southpaw’s ailing left arm, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News).  More will be known once the exam takes place, though the team is already considering holding Boyd and Spencer Turnbull back until after the All-Star break.  “Are we going to push these guys before the All-Star break versus utilizing the time (the four-day break) and targeting them back after the break?  That’s the assessment that’s going to be done over the next couple of weeks on how we’re going to ramp these guys back up,” Hinch said.  A forearm strain sent Turnbull to the IL on June 5, and while his injury wasn’t though to be overly serious, naturally the Tigers will be cautious with any forearm issue.  Boyd — and perhaps Turnbull as well — figure to be trade chips for Detroit at the deadline, so while the team would surely want both hurlers to prove they’re healthy prior to July 30, there is no point in rushing them back and risking further injury.
  • After missing a month due to strained left hip flexor, Mariners first baseman Evan White has halted his rehab due to a setback.  (Jen Mueller of Root Sports was among those to report the news.)  While White could potentially return to Triple-A Tacoma within a week, it represents another delay in his sophomore season.  Though White won the Gold Glove for his excellent first base defense in 2020, he has yet to hit at the big league level, with only a .165/.235/.308 slash line in 306 career plate appearances in the majors.

AL Central Notes: Twins, Haase, Turnbull, Junis

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The Twins’ season has been a disaster thus far, but they’re on the verge of getting some desperately needed reinforcements. The team announced that Byron Buxton will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul beginning today, and Kenta Maeda will make a rehab start for the Saints tomorrow. The 27-year-old Buxton stormed out of the gates looking like a legitimate MVP candidate, slashing .370/.408/.772 with nine home runs, 10  doubles, five steals and his typical stellar defense through 24 games (98 plate appearances). A Grade 2 hip strain has sidelined him for more than a month, however.

Maeda, meanwhile, was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2020’s shortened season but has had a rough go of it in 2021. The 33-year-old posted solid numbers in his first three starts but didn’t tally many innings due to high pitch counts. He’s since had a bit of a velocity dip while struggling in the run-up to an IL placement of his own due to a groin strain. The Twins have trotted out a carousel of outfield options with Buxton, Max Kepler and utilityman Luis Arraez all injured, while injuries on the pitching staff have prompted the team to remain committed to veteran Matt Shoemaker in the rotation despite pronounced struggles (as explored here by Dan Hayes of The Athletic).

Some more notes from the division…

  • Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this morning that he plans to give catcher Eric Haase “as much playing time as I can” to afford him further opportunity to cement his place on the big league roster (Twitter link, with audio). The 28-year-old Haase, a Detroit native and childhood Tigers fan, has been an out-of-nowhere success story since being summoned to Detroit. The minor league veteran has tallied 74 plate appearances and responded with a .265/.324/.647 slash and a whopping seven home ruins. Hinch called Haase a “pretty good athlete,” which is why he’s seen time in left field, and suggested Haase could also handle first base. There’s a case being made to keep Haase on the roster even when the team’s other catching options come off the injured list.
  • Hinch also noted in his appearance (via MLB.com’s Jason Beck, on Twitter) that right-hander Spencer Turnbull will miss “a little bit of time but not nearly as long” as the Tigers originally feared when he first alerted the team to the forearm strain that has landed him on the 10-day IL. That sounds like Turn bull is in for more than a minimal stint, but it’s good that a worst-case scenario has been avoided. The 28-year-old Turnbull drew headlines for this year’s no-hitter, but he’s been a solid starter for Detroit dating back to 2019. During that stretch, he’s logged a combined 4.13 ERA in 255 innings with a 22 percent strikeout rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate. With three years of club control remaining beyond the 2021 season, a healthy Turnbull would figure to command considerable interest on the summer trade market, though that club control also means the Tigers are under no pressure to move him if a compelling offer doesn’t present itself.
  • The Royals optioned righty Jakob Junis to Triple-A Omaha this week on the heels of some recent struggles, and skipper Mike Matheny told reporters after the move that 28-year-old will stretch out for longer stints even though his eventual role upon his return to the Majors isn’t yet determined (link via Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star). “You can be a starter (in the minors) and that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t come back as a reliever,” Matheny said of Junis, who made four solid starts earlier this year but has been hit hard out of the bullpen. Matheny noted that Junis “should” be a pitcher who is capable both of working multiple innings as a reliever but also succeeding when plugged into high-leverage spots. The future role for Junis is surely somewhat dependent on how young pitchers and prospects like Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar and Kris Bubic develop. Junis was a solid back-of-the-rotation piece for the Royals from 2017-18 (4.35 ERA, 101 ERA+ in 275 1/3 innings) but has just 19 innings of bullpen experience in the Majors.

Tigers Place Spencer Turnbull On 10-Day IL Due To Forearm Strain

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JUNE 6: Follow-up testing on Turnbull confirmed the issue is indeed muscular, not structural, in nature. Turnbull has a bit of forearm inflammation, Hinch said (via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com), but the team is “very happy with the initial diagnosis.”

JUNE 5: The Tigers announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right forearm strain.  Righty Bryan Garcia has been called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Turnbull’s spot on the active roster.

The move isn’t a surprise, after Turnbull left last night’s start after four innings.  Though he was still pitching well (one ER on two hits and no walks, with four strikeouts), Turnbull was experiencing forearm tightness and the Tigers opted to pull him from the game.

More will be known about Turnbull’s injury in due time, but manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jason Beck) that “the initial diagnosis is positive,” since Turnbull’s problem seems to be muscular rather than structural.  Another good sign was that Turnbull didn’t appear to be in severe pain, as Hinch said that the righty “fought to stay in the game.”

The IL placement interrupts that has already been a memorable season for Turnbull, who authored a no-hitter back on May 18 and has looked solid over an even 50 innings pitched in 2021.  Turnbull has a 2.88 ERA/3.71 SIERA, with a big 57.2% grounder rate, six percent walk rate, and some strong soft-contact numbers that have allowed him to succeed despite not missing many bats (21.9% strikeout rate).

Jose Urena could serve as a ready-made replacement for Turnbull, as Urena is scheduled to start Sunday in his own return from the injured list.  Urena is back after only a minimum 10 days after a forearm strain of his own, so his situation would represent the best-case scenario for Turnbull if his forearm problem is also relatively minor.  Since Michael Fulmer isn’t likely to be shifted out of relief work and Julio Teheran isn’t ready to return from the 60-day IL, the Tigers could turn to the opener strategy to fill the open spot in the rotation, or perhaps turn to Tyler Alexander or a minor league call-up.

Latest On Tigers’ Rotation

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The Tigers are going to move Tarik Skubal into a scheduled piggyback role for his next couple of outings, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. The Tigers could do the same with Casey Mize at some point during this season. Manager A.J. Hinch views the piggyback option as a way to avoid shutting down or demoting Skubal and Mize as they work with innings restrictions for their young hurlers.

The move, Hinch was careful to note, is not a demotion. Skubal has a 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings so far this season, allowing 11 hits, four home runs, and nine walks against 12 strikeouts. The home runs are a concern, but Skubal also has a 15.0 percent groundball rate, a number that is sure to rise over time. Per the Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, Hinch said, “It’s not an indictment on where he’s at in our rotation or what we think of his first few starts. But it’s the plan we’re gonna put in place to be smart about our pitching resources throughout a six-month season.”

Skubal’s move to the pen actually comes prompted by a bit of good news: Spencer Turnbull will return to the rotation for his first start of the season on Wednesday. Turnbull had his season debut delayed because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in spring. The 28-year-old is coming off a strong 2020 in which he posted a 3.97 ERA/3.49 FIP over 56 2/3 innings. It was the first time Turnbull saw his ERA match his typically strong FIP. Turnbull will join Matthew Boyd, Mize, Jose Urena, and Michael Fulmer in the rotation, at least in the short-term. Detroit’s rotation has already lost Julio Teheran to injury after the veteran got the win in his first start as a Tiger.

When Turnbull joins the roster, another roster move will follow. McCosky suggests a pitcher will likely be demoted, with Joe Jimenez being one possibility. The 26-year-old right-hander has just two appearances so far this season, but he’s off to a rough start. The former All-Star has walked seven of 10 batters this season while being charged with five earned runs (despite not yielding a base hit). In fact, with two strikeouts also on the ledger, only one batter has put the ball in play with Jimenez toeing the rubber, an Aramis Garcia ground out. Both of Jimenez’s appearances this season have come against the Athletics. The Tigers will likely wait to make an official roster move until much closer to Turnbull’s Wednesday start.

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