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Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Tigers scratch Carpenter against White Sox because of right hamstring tightness
CHICAGO (AP) — The major league-leading Detroit Tigers scratched right fielder Kerry Carpenter from the lineup against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night because of right hamstring tightness. Carpenter's hamstring has been bothering him for a few days. Manager A.J. Hinch said the Tigers were 'just being cautious' and that he was available to pinch hit. Carpenter hit a career-high three homers in a 13-1 romp over Chicago on Monday and was tied for second on the team with 13 this season. He was batting .273 with 27 RBIs. The Tigers optioned right-hander Dylan Smith to Triple-A Toledo with Sawyer Gipson-Long returning from elbow and hip injuries that sidelined him for nearly two years. The 27-year-old right-hander made his first start since Sept. 28, 2023. Detroit also recalled right-hander Jason Foley from Toledo and placed him on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from right shoulder surgery. Detroit had the best record in the majors at 40-22 entering Wednesday's game. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Meadows makes season debut with Detroit Tigers after being sidelined by an arm injury
CHICAGO (AP) — Parker Meadows had a big smile on his face. It had been a long time since he had played in a major league game. Meadows was activated by the Detroit Tigers on Monday after missing the start of the season because of a nerve issue in his upper right arm. He started in center field and led off for the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox. 'I didn't sleep much last night, just thinking about the day,' Meadows said. 'Excited to be here.' The major league-leading Tigers optioned infielder/outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy to Triple-A Toledo after Sunday's 1-0 victory at Kansas City. To make room for Meadows on the 40-man roster, right-hander Ryan Cusick was designated for assignment. Meadows was injured in Detroit's spring training opener on Feb. 22 on a throw from center field. He appeared in eight rehab games in the minors beginning on May 21, batting .259 with a homer and five RBIs. 'He's a glue guy, and the guys love him,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'He played at an incredibly high level for us on both sides of the ball, and we have missed him. Our guys have done a really good job of kind of picking up the pieces and being able to adjust to life without him, but we're better with him.' Meadows, 25, hit .244 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 82 games for Detroit last season. He also batted .269 (7 for 26) in seven postseason games, helping the Tigers reach the AL Division Series. The road back to the majors took longer than Meadows expected when he first got hurt. 'It was tough, but just put my head down and worked every day,' he said. 'We've got a really good training staff here. Keep a good head on my shoulders and they got me right.' One of the last steps for Meadows before rejoining Detroit was trying a couple of hard throws during his rehab stint. 'At first it was a little eh,' he said. 'But the more throws I made, the better it felt. It feels good now.' The return of Meadows gives Hinch another option on a versatile Tigers team that had won six of seven going into the matchup with the last-place White Sox. Javier Báez, who played an impressive center field while Meadows was out, was back at shortstop for the series opener in Chicago. Hinch said Báez is going to move around the diamond. 'I told Javy, 'Don't take the outfield glove (and) throw it away. You're still going to need it,'' Hinch said. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Who replaces Jackson Jobe in Detroit Tigers' rotation? Watch for Sawyer Gipson-Long
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers need another starting pitcher after right-hander Jackson Jobe landed on the 15-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, which is expected to sideline him for at least one month. Help is on the way. Advertisement Right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long is one candidate — and possibly the preferred candidate — to start Tuesday, June 3, against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, taking Jobe's spot in the rotation. For the opening, the Tigers will not activate injured starters Reese Olson or Alex Cobb. "The closest to the big leagues is Sawyer, just given where he's at in his buildup and what he's done to date," said manager A.J. Hinch, adding Olson isn't throwing all of his pitches in bullpens yet. "He's really the only candidate of the guys you mentioned that would be under consideration." MORE ABOUT HIM: Tigers' Sawyer Gipson-Long has two journals, a nasty changeup and a bright future Detroit Tigers pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long walks into the room for picture day of spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Gipson-Long is recovering from right elbow and left hip surgery. Advertisement But Gipson-Long has already completed five starts during his rehab assignment, whereas Olson (right ring finger inflammation) needs at least one rehab start and Cobb (right hip inflammation) needs multiple rehab starts. Gipson-Long made his latest rehab start Thursday, May 29, with Triple-A Toledo, throwing 53 pitches over 5⅓ innings. He has thrown more than 45 pitches in each of his past three rehab starts, including more than 50 in his past two starts. In Thursday's start, Gipson-Long allowed one run on one hit and zero walks with five strikeouts. His sinker averaged 91.5 mph, and his changeup generated a 50% whiff rate. "It's nice to see him on the mound again," Hinch said. "He was very aggressive. His pitches were really good. His spring training build up, getting out of rehab and into competition, has been a work in progress. The stuff played great." Advertisement SHUT DOWN: Tigers rookie Jackson Jobe suffers right elbow injury, expected to return in 2025 The Tigers have an opening for Tuesday's game. Until then, the Tigers are covered with their four healthy starting pitchers: Casey Mize on Friday, May 30, Tarik Skubal on Saturday, May 31, Keider Montero on Sunday, June 1, and Jack Flaherty on Monday, June 2. Gipson-Long will join the Tigers on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City — not to play against the Royals but to throw a bullpen in front of pitching coach Chris Fetter and assistant pitching coaches Robin Lund and Juan Nieves. "And then we can make a determination of what's next for him," Hinch said. Advertisement [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Pitchers are limited to 30 days on rehab assignment. Gipson-Long made his first rehab start May 8, which means he must join the Tigers or be optioned to Triple-A Toledo by June 7. He hasn't taken the mound in an MLB game since September 2023, when he registered a 2.70 ERA with eight walks and 26 strikeouts across 20 innings in four starts. He then underwent Tommy John surgery on April 22, 2024, and hip surgery on July 9, 2024. The other option for Tuesday's game if it's not Gipson-Long is 'pitching chaos.' Advertisement "We'll have to talk about Tuesday," Hinch said. "That will create some conversations about how to go about it, whether it's a starter, whether it's a bullpen day. We have time before the next series." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Sawyer Gipson-Long could replace injured Jackson Jobe
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Tarik Skubal says he teared up as Tigers fans roared moments before his 1st complete game as a pro
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal emerged from the dugout to pitch in a ninth inning for the first time in the major leagues, triggering a roar and standing ovation from the Comerica Park crowd as men, women and children chanted his name. 'Little teary-eyed out there, honestly, before the inning started,' Skubal said Sunday. 'It was pretty cool. I just thought to myself, `12-year-old me wouldn't believe that was an opportunity to have the fan base support you the way it does and be in that moment.' 'It was pretty special.' Indeed. Skubal gave up two hits and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts and no walks in his first professional complete game, a 5-0 win over Cleveland that avoided a four-game sweep. He ended the game by striking out Gabriel Arias on a 102.6 mph four-seam fastball, the fastest strikeout pitch by a starting pitcher since pitch-tracking started in 1988. He is the only major leaguer to throw a shutout with 13 or more strikeouts and fewer than 100 pitches since pitch counts records started in 1988, according to Sportsradar. Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award and was the league's pitching Triple Crown winner last season, but the longest outing of his big league career had been eight innings last August against Boston. The 28-year-old former Seattle University standout had his first complete game since a pair of seven-inning efforts in 2015 during his freshman season. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has kept Skubal on the mound for an average of 95 pitches over the previous three starts and the lefty's efficient afternoon allowed him to reach a milestone. 'Sometimes, it's your big boy's day and you've got to leave him out there,' Hinch said. Skubal didn't give up a hit or a walk through five innings and finished with a nearly flawless performance. He had a baserunner for the first time after Will Wilson doubled on the second pitch of the sixth, ending a potential bid for a perfect game. 'After two (innings), you think about it,' Skubal acknowledged. Skubal (5-2) gave up only one more hit and hit one batter in a masterful, 94-pitch outing that included just 22 balls. He's the first player in franchise history to have a complete game without a walk, two or fewer hits and 13 strikeouts. Skubal also became the first Tiger to have 10-plus strikeouts in four straight home games and his game-ending pitch was the team's fastest since at least 2015. 'I don't know what to say because you don't see it very often,' Hinch said. 'When he's got full intensity and full throttle, the sky is the limit.' Skubal pitched the eighth complete game in the major leagues this season and fifth individual shutout. That didn't give him any sort of retribution, though, after Cleveland's Lane Thomas hit a grand slam off Skubal in a 7-3 win that eliminated Detroit in Game 5 of their AL Division Series on Saturday. 'There's no story there,' Skubal said. 'I got a ton of respect for a log of guys in that dugout, including their manager.' Likewise, the Guardians admire Skubal a lot. 'He's the best pitcher in baseball and he showed it today,' Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
No more personal catcher: Why Dillon Dingler — not Jake Rogers — is catching Tarik Skubal
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch thought about waiting until Sunday, May 25, to put catcher Jake Rogers in the starting lineup for the first time since his Tuesday, May 20, return from a six-week stay on the injured list. It would've made sense to wait. Advertisement After all, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal — who had Rogers as his catcher for all 31 starts in his 2024 Cy Young campaign — is starting Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. The Tigers are also facing left-hander Logan Allen: Rogers has a career .753 OPS vs. lefties, compared to .626 vs. righties. HEY RILEY: Is Riley Greene healthy? Tigers' All-Star checks in about lower body after 50 games Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers high-fives Dillon Dingler after the end of the top of the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Instead, Rogers started Saturday, May 24. Here's the surprise: Dingler will catch Skubal in Sunday's series finale. "Dillon is someone who's earned a lot of playing time," Hinch said, "so that can be a little bit tricky, just making sure both guys stay fresh, making sure we get the right matchup we want — and keep both guys involved." Advertisement Rogers was Skubal's personal catcher all last season. That's not the case anymore. 125 epic seasons of the Tigers: Buy our new book! Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (34) looks on during an at bat in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 24, 2025. The game Sunday against the Guardians will mark the first time a healthy Rogers hasn't caught Skubal since Sept. 3, 2023, when Carson Kelly was behind the plate. "Everyone is going to catch everyone, pretty much," Hinch said. "I'm confident in both guys catching each guy. I know it tends to be the question about Tarik and Jake. Tarik had a few good games with Dillon, too." More than just a few games. With Dingler, Skubal owns a 1.87 ERA with two walks (1.2% walk rate) and 61 strikeouts (37.2% strikeout rate) across 43⅓ innings in seven starts — all while Rogers was on the injured list. The Tigers won six of those seven games. Advertisement It's a massive difference. With Rogers this season, Skubal has a 5.51 ERA with five walks (7.1% walk rate) and 18 strikeouts (25.7% strikeout rate) across 16⅓ innings in three starts — the Tigers winning just one of three games. "I like the interaction that I see with Dillon with all of our pitchers," said Hinch, who played 350 MLB games as a catcher. "It reminds me of a young version of a catcher who's trying to establish respect and full understanding of the arsenal." [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Advertisement [ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers, here. ] Dingler — the No. 38 overall pick in the 2020 draft — is just 65 games into his MLB career, spanning parts of two seasons. The 26-year-old is performing like a top catcher in baseball in 2025, hitting .298 with a .776 OPS in 38 games and registering plus-2 defensive runs saved. That's not happenstance. "And Dillon, he does a ton of work, but he doesn't ever portray himself of having all the answers," Hinch said "He takes feedback from pitchers, from Fett (pitching coach Chris Fetter), from me, from Sink (catching coach Ryan Sienko). Everybody seems to be in his ear, and he can absorb a lot of information." Advertisement Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Dillon Dingler — not Jake Rogers — catching Tarik Skubal
