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Kenley Jansen Kenley Jansen Secures 11th save Thursday
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 8:39 PM
Jansen worked around a hit and a walk to secure the save in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Athletics. He struck out one.
Analysis: Jansen wasn't his sharpest as he allowed a few baserunners and needed 19 pitches to get through the ninth inning, but he still managed to lock down his 11th save in 15 chances this season. The veteran hasn't been his typical dominant self with a 4.76 ERA across 22.2 innings, which is up from 2.59 last year and his career ERA of 2.62. Despite some struggles, Jansen seems locked in as Detroit's closer, and his impressive MLB track record suggests he could pitch better as the season rolls along. |
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Eduardo Valencia Eduardo Valencia Homers in first MLB at-bat
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 8:31 PM
Valencia went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and was also hit by a pitch in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: Valencia received his first call to the majors earlier in the day, and he supplied a special moment when he appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. The 26-year-old Venezuelan lifted the fourth pitch of his first MLB at-bat over the wall in center for his first career home run. Valencia spent eight seasons in the minors before getting promoted to provide some catching depth as Dillon Dingler manages a thumb injury. Dingler's injury isn't considered serious and he may return to the lineup soon, which could send Valencia back to Triple-A Toledo, though he's firmly in the mix to provide MLB depth the rest of the season as needed. |
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Jake Rogers Jake Rogers Homers again Thursday
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 8:23 PM
Rogers went 1-for-1 with two walks and a solo home run in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: With Dillon Dingler getting the night off a day after taking a foul ball off his right thumb, Rogers stepped into the starting lineup and went deep for the second straight game. X-rays came back negative on Dingler's thumb, so he may be able to return soon, but the Tigers also only have three more games before the All-Star break and may play it safe with their starting catcher. If that's the case, Rogers should get a few more chances to shine before returning to a backup role in the second half. |
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Dillon Dingler Dillon Dingler Day-to-day, not in lineup Thursday
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 3:22 PM
Dingler (thumb) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Analysis: Dingler had to exit Wednesday's game after a foul tip caught him in the right thumb. X-rays came back clean, and Dingler said Thursday that he's feeling "10 times better" a day after the injury, per Logan Reever of Detroit SportsNet. Dingler will avoid the 10-day injured list and is considered day-to-day as he waits for the swelling in his thumb to subside. Jake Rogers is catching for the Tigers on Thursday, and Eduardo Valencia has been called up for depth behind the plate. |
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Jahmai Jones Jahmai Jones Designated for assignment
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 2:49 PM
The Tigers designated Jones for assignment Thursday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Jones has slashed just .137/.219/.221 across 105 plate appearances with the Tigers this season, so he'll now lose his place on the 26-man and 40-man rosters to make room for Eduardo Valencia. His defensive versatility could make him more valuable to clubs browsing the waiver wire, though he isn't likely to make much of an impact with his bat in the big leagues. |
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Eduardo Valencia Eduardo Valencia Up from Triple-A
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 2:39 PM
The Tigers recalled Valencia from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Analysis: Valencia has spent the entire season in Triple-A, slashing .267/.353/.486 with 16 homers, 49 RBI and 56 runs scored across 331 plate appearances. He'll now be called upon to provide the big club with depth behind the plate while Dillon Dingler manages a thumb injury. Valencia will be making his MLB debut whenever he gets into a game. |
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Troy Melton Troy Melton Career-high nine Ks in win
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 9:30 AM
Melton (5-1) picked up the win in Wednesday's 6-1 victory over the A's, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out nine.
Analysis: The nine Ks were a career high for Melton, who fired 62 of 91 pitches for strikes and racked up 15 swinging strikes while topping out at 98.7 mph with his fastball. The 25-year-old right-hander has given up one run or fewer in four straight starts since dealing with some back tightness in June, producing a 0.76 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings during that impressive stretch. Justin Verlander (hamstring) and Jackson Jobe (elbow) could both return from the IL in early August, but it's hard to imagine Melton losing his spot in the rotation if he continues dealing. |
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Spencer Torkelson Spencer Torkelson Pops 15th home run Wednesday
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 9:51 PM
Torkelson went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: Torkelson continued his strong recent stretch of play with his 15th home run of the season. Over his last 10 games, the slugging first baseman is batting .278 with three long balls and 10 RBI. Torkelson's free-swinging approach leaves him susceptible to slumps, but his power gives him plenty of upside, and he should continue to see ample playing time for a Detroit team that's 20th in the majors in runs scored. |
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Jake Rogers Jake Rogers Supplies offense off bench
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 9:42 PM
Rogers went 2-for-2 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: The veteran catcher entered the game in the second inning after Dillon Dingler took a foul ball off his right thumb. Rogers responded with just his second home run of the season and first since June 3. X-rays came back negative on Dingler, so it appears that the All-Star avoided a more serious injury, though it wouldn't be surprising to see Rogers pick up a start in relief Thursday to give Dingler a little more time to recuperate. |
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Dillon Dingler Dillon Dingler X-rays negative
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 9:05 PM
X-rays on Dingler's right hand came back negative following his removal from Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Analysis: Dingler was pulled from the game after taking a foul tip off his thumb in the first inning. The Tigers will run a few more tests on him Thursday just to be sure, but it seems as though he escaped the incident without a serious injury. If he needs to miss any extra time, Jake Rogers would be the next man up to start behind the dish. |
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Dillon Dingler Dillon Dingler Leaves Wednesday's game
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 6:23 PM
Dingler was removed from Wednesday's game against the Athletics due to an apparent right thumb injury, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Dingler took a foul tip off his right thumb in the first inning. He's gone back to the locker room to undergo more tests on his injury, and the Tigers should have an update on Dingler during or shortly after Wednesday's game. Jake Rogers will take over at catcher for the rest of the contest in Dingler's absence. |
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Thayron Liranzo Thayron Liranzo Missing Futures Game with injury
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 4:13 PM
Liranzo will not play in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday due to a left finger laceration, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Analysis: Liranzo was placed on Double-A Erie's 7-day injured list July 3 due to the finger injury. He hasn't progressed enough in his recovery to represent the American League in Sunday's Futures Game and has been replaced by Max Anderson of Triple-A Toledo. Liranzo is slashing .211/.343/.429 with one steal, nine home runs and 31 RBI across 201 plate appearances in Double-A this season. |
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Kerry Carpenter Kerry Carpenter Shielded from southpaw
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 2:29 PM
Carpenter is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Analysis: The Tigers will send Carpenter and fellow left-handed hitters Colt Keith and James Outman to the bench while southpaw Jeffrey Springs takes the hill for the Athletics. Ben Malgeri will spell Carpenter in right field and will bat seventh. |
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Colt Keith Colt Keith Taking seat against lefty
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 2:28 PM
Keith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Analysis: The Tigers will send Keith and fellow left-handed hitters Kerry Carpenter and James Outman to the bench while southpaw Jeffrey Springs takes the hill for the Athletics. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch has shielded Keith from same-handed pitching throughout the season, with the 24-year-old logging just 17 of his 260 plate appearances against lefties. |
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James Outman James Outman Held out of lineup vs. lefty
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 2:26 PM
Outman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Analysis: The Tigers will send Outman and fellow left-handed hitters Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith to the bench while southpaw Jeffrey Springs takes the hill for the Athletics. Matt Vierling will cover center field in place of Outman, who went 5-for-35 (.143 average) with two home runs, six RBI, five runs and a 3:14 K:BB while starting in each of the Tigers' last 11 games. |
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Jackson Jobe Jackson Jobe Hits 100 mph in first rehab start
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 1:31 PM
Jobe (elbow) struck out a batter and allowed one earned run on two hits and no walks over 1.1 innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Single-A Lakeland.
Analysis: Pitching in a game for the first time since May 28, 2025, Jobe was eased back into action with a light workload coming off Tommy John surgery. He threw 32 pitches (24 strikes) en route to retiring four of the six batters he faced in the first appearance of what will likely be close to a month-long rehab assignment. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Jobe's rehab start was that he already seems to have recaptured his pre-surgery velocity; he topped out at 100.2 mph with his fastball, per MLB.com. In order to claim a spot in Detroit's rotation once he returns from the 60-day injured list, Jobe will need to show that he can maintain both velocity and command while he ups his pitch count during his subsequent minor-league outings. |
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Justin Verlander Justin Verlander Retiring after season
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 12:11 PM
Verlander (hamstring/hip) announced Wednesday via social media that he will retire following the 2026 season.
Analysis: Verlander addressed his playing future in a statement after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced earlier Wednesday that the 43-year-old had been named a "Legend Pick" for the 2026 All-Star Game. The veteran right-hander will be honored in Philadelphia next week after being selected to his 10th All-Star Game, but he won't be active for the exhibition while he remains on the 60-day injured list after sustaining a left hamstring injury during a June 17 bullpen session. Verlander -- who was placed on the shelf April 4 due to hip inflammation -- has since resumed playing catch, but he's without a clear timeline to return from the IL. He'll look to move past his injuries over the next few weeks and attempt to make at least a few more appearances for Detroit before the end of the season as he closes the book on a 21-year Hall-of-Fame career. Verlander is the majors' active leader in games started (556), wins (266) and strikeouts (3,554). |
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Tarik Skubal Tarik Skubal Nine Ks again in win
Tue, Jul 7, 2026, 9:06 PM
Skubal (5-4) earned the win against the Athletics on Tuesday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over five innings.
Analysis: Skubal allowed a homer for the fifth straight game since returning from the injured list but was otherwise strong, throwing 62 of 96 pitches for strikes with a whopping 22 whiffs. The southpaw has yielded just two earned runs across back-to-back victories and has recorded exactly nine punchouts in three straight outings. He owns a 3.06 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 84:10 K:BB across 70.2 innings this season and lines up to face the Phillies at home this weekend in his final matchup before the All-Star break. |
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Colt Keith Colt Keith Launches two-run home run Tuesday
Tue, Jul 7, 2026, 8:45 PM
Keith went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: Keith was eventually lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, but he made his mark well before then with his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the first. The 24-year-old has hit all of those home runs in the past three weeks after beginning the year with no long balls across his first 62 games. Keith is trending upward, though the left-handed batter doesn't play much against southpaws, which caps his overall fantasy upside. |
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Kevin McGonigle Kevin McGonigle Reaches three times in win
Tue, Jul 7, 2026, 8:37 PM
McGonigle went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Athletics.
Analysis: McGonigle has started July on a positive note with three multi-hit performances in five games so far this month. It's more of the same for the rookie infielder, who is having an outstanding debut season with a .287/.398/.423 slash line across 88 contests overall. McGonigle's excellent on-base skills have made him an easy choice as Detroit's primary leadoff hitter, and the 21-year-old has been a driving force of the team's offense. |
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