This one had everything. Troy Melton struggled and got knocked out early, but the bullpen managed to bend without breaking. Meanwhile, the young Tigers hitters were centre stage as they fought back repeatedly with good at-bats late in this one. Kenley Jansen picked up his 496th major league save to wrap up the victory.
Monday night's first of three at the Rogers Centre featured Melton against right-hander José Soriano. The Blue Jays have had almost as strange a season as the Tigers. Struggling through the first half, they moved long time top starter Kevin Gausman, but acquired Soriano at the deadline as well, and have kept themselves in the thick of the wild card race.
Things didn't start off too well as the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the first, and Melton immediately dug himself a hole. Brett Bateman led off by slashing a single the opposite way past a diving Hao-Yu Lee for a leadoff single. Bateman appeared to be thrown out stealing second on a pitch that was called a ball and incorrectly challenged by Dillon Dingler to walk George Springer. So everyone was safe, and after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to advance the runners, Alejandro Kirk singled home Bateman for a 1-0 lead.
Melton didn't help his cause against Nathan Lukes by yanking a wild pitch to score Springer, but he retired Lukes and Kazuma Okamoto flew out to Clark to end the first inning. 2-0 Blue Jays.
A Dingler strikeout started the second inning, and Max Clark and Brett Callahan grounded out.

#melton #soriano #brett

MINNEAPOLIS - The Detroit Tigers keep finding new ways to lose.
To start the unraveling.
This time, it was a throwing error by Dillon Dingler, a Gold Glove winning catcher, that seemed to change everything.
Turning a close game into pure ugliness.
Dingler airmailed third base during a run-down, which led to a three-run inning for the Minnesota Twins, flipping a close game inside out. Then, Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers both hit three-run homers as the Twins scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to turn it into a rout, as the Twins pulled away with a 15-2 victory over the Tigers at Target Field on Tuesday, Sept.1.

#twins #tigers #dingler #close

Riley Greene returns to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, September 1, as one of the club's call-ups after the rosters expand. The three-time All-Star has been on the IL for almost three weeks with a hamstring injury, and the Tigers have been struggling mightily in his absence. The team went 4-14 in the 18 games since the injury, and have gone from fringe contenders in the playoff hunt to non-factors in the Wild Card race. Although the bullpen has continued its season-long struggle during this time, the team's offense has really struggled. Here is how he can help his team as Riley Greene returns from the IL.
The Tigers are currently in fourth place in the AL Central and are just one win up from the Kansas City Royals, who have dwelt in the basement all season long. They sit six whole games back from the last Wild Card spot as Riley Greene returns, and are really struggling at the plate. Although Dillon Dingler has been one of the best catchers in baseball, he hit a severe slump right around the time that Greene hit the IL. Others like Spencer Torkelson have found it tough to get their game going all season long. Meanwhile, injuries have also been a factor as Kerry Carpenter and as mentioned Greene have found themselves hitting the IL in recent weeks.
Although he hasn't hit the same heights as the last two seasons, Riley Greene remains one of the Tigers' most productive bats. Through 177 games in 2026, he's slugged 16 home runs and driven in 54 runners, with an OPS of .816, making him the team's most dangerous hitter this season. Rookies Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark have made waves in recent weeks, but the team can't rely on their young players to deliver when it really matters, that's when veterans need to step up to the plate, literally.
Jun 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) celebrates with his teammates after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
McGonigle continues to make a great case for AL Rookie of the Year honors, and Clark who has collected 23 hits in his first 28 games in the big leagues. They will get a boost as Riley Greene returns to lengthen this lineup and give protection to the two of them, as well as the struggling Dingler and Torkelson. Knowing that Greene is in the lineup is going to make pitchers want to challenge these other batters a bit more than they have, so the other starters should see more fastballs in the zone. Fans will worry whether or not it is too late for 2026.

#tigers

Luke Keaschall was a much-needed spark plug, Walker Jenkins doinked his first MLB homer off the right field pole, Jeffers added two bombs of his own, his first since the last day of July, and Taj Bradley delivered one of his best starts of the season when the Twins most needed it. It was a fun night at the ballpark when the Twins really needed a win!
Let's start on the offensive side. Facing Jackson Jobe, the former top pitching prospect in all of baseball, the Twins struck in the first inning, as they are wont to do of late, with a leadoff double from Keaschall eventually coming around on Kody Clemens sac fly. And then things went eerily quiet for Minnesota's hitters, also as they are wont to do of late.
They had chances to add on before the game exploded, but still didn't hit well with runners in scoring position despite the big number on the scoreboard. They went 2-9 with RISP against actual pitchers, with an added hit off of position player Zach McKinstry in the eighth to juice the stats. A leadoff double from Kaelen Culpepper in the third gave them a good run scoring opportunity, but a Jenkins pop out and Brooks Lee GIDP after a Keaschall single kept the game at 1-0 after three innings.
Clemens came back around and added a run on his own in the fourth inning, a no-doubt solo shot over the dock in right field to put the Twins up 2-0. They had another great opportunity to add on that inning with the bases loaded and just one out, but the rookies Culpepper and Jenkins both popped out to end the threat.
Then came the fifth inning when things finally broke open. Keaschall reached first base on an error by the Tigers' third baseman. Hao-Yu Lee couldn't get the grip on a soft grounder hit his way, trying to get it quickly to nab a hustling Keaschall. Keaschall then stole second easily off one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, Dillon Dingler. Keaschall had third easily in the same at-bat as well, but Clemens fouled off a pitch to send Luke back to second. Clemens eventually walked before Ryan Jeffers hit a three run blast to give the Twins their first comfortable lead of the night.

#jenkins #inning

Dillon Dingler's 26 homers in 2026 are twice as many as he hit last year.
The second half of the MLB season has been a disaster for the best home run bets. Entering the MLB All-Star break, the best home run bets generated $642 in profit for anyone who bet $100 on each of the touted home run props at the listed odds.
In the second half, the best home run bets have cost bettors $892. The best home run props have a 20-81 record, with three no bets over the course of the entire season, and they're $250 in the red.
There is still time to salvage the season and generate a profit. Fortunately, home run props being long-shot wagers cuts both ways. While they're difficult to hit, correctly selecting a few home run bets can pull the best home run bets out of their funk and lift them back into the black.
A power-hitting catcher and one of MLB's best sluggers have eye-catching odds to hit a home run today. The first has an excellent matchup, and the second has an adequate matchup and blistering batted-ball data.

#season #props #profit

Despite a rough latter half of the game, the Tigers beat the Pirates 8-5.
After limping their way through a no-good-very-bad weekend series against the White Sox, the Tigers were hoping for a better result as they headed to Pittsburgh. The home of a bunch of yellow bridges, Primanti Brothers sandwiches, and the best view in baseball, the Tigers would have to best their NL rivals and they picked a good time to do it with Paul Skenes slumping terribly and the Pirates, but the Pirates actually have a nearly identical record to the Tigers at the moment, so truly no one knows how this road trip is going to pan out. The Tigers had Framber Valdez on the mound, up against Carmen Mlodzinski for the Pirates.
Gleyber Torres took a leadoff walk in the first to start the game. With two outs, Colt Keith singled, then Zach McKinstry singled to bring Torres home. A Hao-Yu Lee single then brought Keith in and the Tigers were up 2-0 at the turnover of the first.
Valdez made short work of the Pirates in the home half, getting them out in order.
In the second, with two outs, Torres singled. Kevin McGonigle then homered, quickly doubling the Tigers' run count. Dillon Dingler singled, but the Tigers weren't able to bring in any additional runs.

#pirates #home #half #good

PITTSBURGH – The Detroit Tigers miss Riley Greene, as anyone who is breathing will tell you – including manager A.J. Hinch, who feels the left-fielder's absence as he makes his lineup card out every day.
"You notice it because he's a tremendous player and because he plays every single day," Hinch said Monday, Aug. 17, "he's a mainstay in the middle of our order. He's definitely missed. Like a lot of teams, when you lose a mainstay, you feel it."
The loss is even more acute, he pointed out, when the Tigers face a string of right-handed starters, as they will at PNC Park on Monday-Wednesday. Greene doesn't just provide power, he provides protection as a lefty. His absence isn't why Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler have been scuffling lately – especially Dingler, who went 1-for-34 before doubling against the White Sox on Sunday.

#hinch #Monday #every

The lopsided pitching matchup didn't materialize, but it turned out not to matter, as big bats beat big arms.
As he crossed into more innings than he had pitched all of last season (134) Sean Burke had his worst start since June 13, giving up four earned runs on five hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings that took him 72 pitches. His velocity was off a couple of ticks and his command wasn't terrific, either. The first and biggest blow was a two-run triple in the second on Brett Callahan's first major league pitch. Callahan then was knocked in on a Max Clark single to make it 3-0 (Callahan's next time up he was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Adam Beck on a clear ball, but his attempt at a challenge was declared too late by Beck, who had a terrible day overall.)
The Sox got one run back on a Tristan Peters opposite-field pop-up ground-rule double (those corners in Comerica are really short) and two grounders. The Tigers got it back to 4-1 on an opposite-field homer off Sam Antonacci's glove by Colt Keith in the third, then in the fifth they learned why the dreaded leadoff walk is so dreaded: Tigers starter Drew Anderson, at his highest pitch count all year, pinned Peters down 0-2 then threw four straight ****** , followed by a slider that didn't slide that Drew Romo slid 386 feet to right to make it 4-3.
A Randal Grichuk pinch-double and Colson Montgomery broken-bat single in the sixth tied the game. Next, Tigers lefty reliever Todd Holton again proved the dreaded-leadoff-walk rule by giving Antonacci (who doesn't hit lefties well) a five-pitch pass and following that by setting one on a tee for Munetaka Murakami, only to see it land 393 feet away. Make it 6-4, White Sox.
The Tigers cut it to 6-5 in the seventh when Dillon Dingler broke an 0-for-29 slump with a double to score Gleyber Torres, at which point Mune proved he's not just another pretty bat:

#drew

The Detroit Tigers have unveiled a dramatically altered starting lineup for Saturday afternoon's critical game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park.
Facing left-hander Anthony Kay, manager A.J. Hinch has moved Hao-Yu Lee into the No. 2 spot, placed Dillon Dingler at designated hitter and moved Kevin McGonigle down from No. 3 to cleanup. Rookie catcher Eduardo Valencia will bat fifth and handle Troy Melton behind the plate.
Detroit enters the game at 60-62, trailing first-place Chicago by 3.5 games in the American League Central.
Here is how the Tigers will line up against Kay:
Gleyber Torres, 2B

#white

With strong pitching keeping the game close early, the Tigers used a 6-run seventh inning to pull away from the host San Francisco Giants and take a dominant 8-0 shutout victory on Saturday.
Jackson Jobe, making his first start since May 28 of last year, looked incredible on the mound. His first strikeout topped 100 mph on a fastball, and he added three more strikeouts in five innings of work. Allowing just one hit and one walk in his comeback from Tommy John surgery last summer, he was more than efficient.
Meanwhile, Giants starter Landen Roupp had his way in the first five innings, striking out three and allowing just two hits against a Tigers squad that looked to repeat Friday night's hitting struggles.
After five scoreless innings, Detroit finally broke through ... but in a very anti-climactic way. Every runner that got on base for the Tigers in top of the sixth was because of a walk, with Spencer Torkelson's five-pitch walk bringing in the first run of the game.
The Tigers went into the top of the seventh and took advantage of Trent Harris making his major-league debut for the Giants. Zach McKinstry, Kevin McGonigle, and Dillon Dingler hit back-to-back-to-back big hits, scoring two runs for Detroit and gave Harris his "welcome to the big leagues" moment.

#harris

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – They're done. They're not done. They're done. They're not done.
The starter was pulled before the game to keep him unblemished for a trade. The bullpen got called in instead.
And in a minor-league ballpark in a town no one ******* ociates with baseball, the Detroit Tigers beat the Athletics 13-1, erupting for seven of those runs in the eighth inning. Oh yeah, Dillon Dingler hit another home run.
SCRATCHED STARTER: Casey Mize mired in 'weird place' with wait for MLB trade deadline
But wait, that isn't even the story – this is: The may have another decent rookie on their hands.

#starter #sacramento #athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – They're done. They're not done. They're done. They're not done.
The starter was pulled before the game to keep him unblemished for a trade. The bullpen got called in instead.
And in a minor-league ballpark in a town no one **** ociates with baseball, the Detroit Tigers beat the Athletics 13-1, erupting for seven of those runs in the eighth inning. Oh yeah, Dillon Dingler hit another home run.
SCRATCHED STARTER: Casey Mize mired in 'weird place' with wait for MLB trade deadline
But wait, that isn't even the story – this is: The may have another decent rookie on their hands.

#athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Dillon Dingler hit a grand slam in Detroit's seven-run eighth inning and the Tigers opened their longest trip of the season with a 13-1 victory over the Athletics on Friday night.
Kevin McGonigle homered and drove in two runs, and fellow 2023 draft pick Max Clark had three hits, including an RBI double in the big eighth inning to help Detroit get the win in his big-league debut.
The Tigers got a strong performance from their bullpen after deciding to scratch scheduled starter Casey Mize in case a trade develops before Monday's deadline. Tyler Holton started and allowed one run in two innings. Ty Madden (1-0) allowed two hits in three scoreless innings to get the win.
The Tigers won for just the second time in six games to start a three-city West Coast swing and moved within 3 1/2 games of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
McGonigle tied the game with a solo homer off Jeffrey Springs (3-11) in the third inning, He added a sacrifice fly in the fourth in an inning aided by Clark's first career hit.

#inning #tigers #hits

BALTIMORE — The Detroit Tigers are breaking apart, bit by bit; a backup catcher perhaps giving way to a franchise icon and, perhaps most of a starting rotation.
Life is coming at them fast on Woodward Avenue, to the point Jake Rogers didn't even get to bid Tarik Skubal goodbye.
The two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher and his longtime personal catcher met at the alternate site during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, grew up through Rogers' career-high 21-homer season until the emergence of All-Star Dillon Dingler pushed Rogers to the margins and, finally, resulted in his getting designated for ***** ignment Tuesday, July 28.
A day later, Skubal made perhaps his final start as Detroit Tiger before the club likely deals him in a blockbuster move before the trade deadline. The ace got emotional when discussing Rogers.
Finally, the two exchanged text messages and then, come Friday, July 31, Rogers found himself back in a pennant race, activated by the Baltimore Orioles before a huge series against Philadelphia.

#detroit #skubal #july

Jake Rogers has a new home.
Rogers, the veteran Tigers catcher who was designated for **** ignment earlier this week, has been traded to the Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers and Orioles announced the trade Thursday afternoon.
The Tigers have acquired minor-league right-hander Zane Barnhart, who will report to Double-A Erie. Barnhart is an alum of Hillsdale College.
Barnhart, 24, was a 17th-round pick by the Orioles in 2023. This season at Double A, he is 2-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 40 appearances, all in relief. He was 45 strikeouts and 19 walks.
Rogers, 31, was acquired by the Tigers in 2017 from the Houston Astros in the Justin Verlander trade and debuted with Detroit in 2019. He was replaced as starting catcher in 2025 by Dillon Dingler.

#barnhart #double

Well this is a peculiar first move for trade deadline season. Jake Rogers, the longest tenured Detroit Tigers player, has been designated for ***** ignment. Eduardo Valencia was recalled on Sunday and will be taking over the backup catcher duties. Rogers' roster spot will go to Javier Báez, who returns from a three-month absence after suffering a high ankle sprain at the end of April.
The 31-year-old Rogers made his major league debut with the Tigers back on July 30, 2019 after coming to the Tigers in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in August of 2017. He finally became the Tigers primary catcher in 2021 before tearing his UCL and requiring reconstruction surgery that cost him all of the 2022 season. In 2023 and 2024 Rogers put together good seasons based around his defensive ability, plate discipline, and the occasional burst of home run power. He was worth 4.7 fWAR across those two years, but since that point his offensive contributions collapsed as Dillon Dingler took over the everyday catching role. This season, Rogers' defense finally showed real signs of cracking as well. He's hitting .161/.266/.301 for a 60 wRC+ which ranks him 48th out of 59 catchers with 100 plate appearances or more this season.
Despite his struggles, two part-time White Sox catchers, and numerous others, are even worse offensive players than Rogers. It won't be a surprise if he gets claimed, but it's too bad no one would flip a lottery ticket prospect to acquire him. The problem is that Rogers defensive numbers have declined this year and he's finally grading out a little below average as a defender. Whether that's partly the result of lack of playing time is hard to say, but hopefully he'll be claimed somewhere. If he clears waivers and is outrighted the Tigers will still be on the hook for the rest of his $3.05M salary for 2026.
Valencia is far and away a better hitter than Rogers, so that should provide a little support to the offense. On the other hand, Valencia isn't that good behind the plate, particularly in terms of holding opponents' running game in check. Still with Rogers defensive numbers in decline, perhaps Valencia won't do worse.
Getting Báez back could be pretty helpful to the Tigers although it's just funny to look at Báez as a way to trim strikeouts in the lineup by taking over some of the workload from James Outman. It will be interesting to see how he's deployed. With Kerry Carpenter out with a foot injury, the outfield needs help. It needed help anyway. We'll see if Báez is back to full speed and can get back to playing a solid enough center field. If he's back to 100 percent, that also gives the Tigers options, with Báez getting some time at shortstop and around the infield to get another right-handed bat into the lineup. Either way, it's good to have Javy Báez back, and hopefully further support for the outfield isn't too far away as Max Clark will be available to be called up without spoiling his 2027 rookie eligibi

The Royals (43-61) and the Tigers (49-54) continue their four-game AL Central series tonight at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Detroit rallied late last night to earn a 4-3 victory over Kansas City in the series opener. It was Detroit’s fourteenth win in their last nineteen games. The Royals carried a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning thanks to a two-run homer from Isaac Collins and five scoreless innings from Randy Dobnak. However, the Tigers answered when James Outman blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to put Detroit ahead. After Kansas City tied the game 3-3 in the eighth on Josh Rojas' RBI single, Dillon Dingler delivered the game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the inning. Drew Anderson earned the win and Kyle Finnegan recorded the save. With the win, the Tigers pulled to within six games of first in the AL Central.
Tonight is a bullpen game for the Royals. Beck Way (1-0, 3.22 ERA) gets the start but probably will go no more than two innings. That said, the 26-year-old right-hander has made a strong impression in limited major-league action, striking out 21 batters over 22.1 innings. He has allowed two earned runs over 7.1 innings this month. Beck’s opponent on the mound for the Tigers is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Tarik Skubal (6-5, 2.83 ERA). The Cy Young winner has 98 strikeouts in 82.2 innings. In his last start, July 18 against the Angels, Skubal was dominant allowing just five hits over seven scoreless innings. Skubal has allowed just four earned runs across his last four starts while recording 32 strikeouts in 23 innings.
The Royals continue to be without the left side of their infield with Bobby Witt Jr. (back) and Maikel Garcia (hand) sidelined with injuries.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.

#innings #tonight

The Detroit Tigers have released a veteran catcher.
The Tigers released nine-year veteran Tomás Nido from Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, July 21. In his place, the Tigers signed veteran catcher Carlos Pérez to a minor-league deal on Wednesday, July 22, ******* igning him to Toledo.
Nido, who made his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017, originally signed a contract with the Tigers on Sept. 17, 2024. Nido appeared in 10 games for the Tigers in 2025, putting up a .704 OPS in 37 plate appearances in April and May.
KEIDER: Let's fully appreciate what Keider Montero is doing for surging Tigers
He re-signed with the Tigers ahead of the 2025 season and played 43 games with Toledo, but didn't break through to the majors as Eduardo Valencia emerged as the team's backup catcher during All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler's brief injury spell.

#tigers #keider

The Orioles only got to send one representative to the All-Star game this season, but Adley Rutschman earned the opportunity. Rutschman made his third All Star appearance after slashing .253/.327/.436 in the first half.
Rutschman’s strong start to the season represented a bounceback for the former first overall pick. The Oregon State product posted a below-average 89 OPS+ while missing time with oblique issues in 2025. Baltimore made waves by inking catcher Samuel Basallo to an eight-year extension and signing free agent Pete Alonso to a five-year deal, but it was Rutschman representing the Orioles in Philadelphia tonight.
Basallo and Alonso have played well for Baltimore. Alonso felt like a legitimate snub after slashing .252/.346/.474 with 21 homers in the first half, but Rutschman deserves credit for finding his way back into the spotlight.
That spotlight came with questions about trade rumors and potential contract extensions. Rutschman handled himself well this week without expressing anything really worthy of discussion. The backstop said he’s had a “phenomenal experience so far with Baltimore,” and reiterated that he doesn’t spend any time thinking about trade rumors or his contract. Rutschman is under team control in Baltimore through next season.
Rutschman was named an All-Star reserve behind AL starter Shea Langeliers and fellow reserve Dillon Dingler. Langeliers entered the break slashing .257/.324/.483 with 21 homers, and Dingler received the nod after slashing .262/.323/.508 with 19 long **** . Langeliers walked and scored a run in the first inning and singled in the third. Dingler struck out in his only at bat.

The Midsummer Classic is here, with four Detroit Tigers players representing the American League.
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will take place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on Fox. Those looking for a streaming option can find one on Fox One or Fubo, which carries Fox.
Tigers slugger Riley Greene, making his third All-Star appearance, will start in left field for the AL for the second year in a row. Catcher Dillon Dingler and shortstop Kevin McGonigle were named as reserves for the AL, as both received their first All-Star selection.
Watch the MLB All-Star Game on Fubo

There are a lot of Detroit Tigers’ storylines playing out during All-Star Week. From Justin Verlander’s honorary selection as a Legends pick and final appearance at the MidSummer Classic as an active player, to Kevin McGonigle’s first All-Star game and triumphant return home to Philadelphia, where the Delaware County native grew up going to Citizens Bank Park to see childhood favorites like Chase Utley and Bryce Harper, to Dillon Dingler’s first All-Star Game and emergence this season as the best all round catcher in baseball, there is a lot to celebrate.In terms of the game itself, Riley Greene, making his third All-Star Game appearance, has been added to tonight’s starting lineup.
We thought we’d just put together a little round-up of clips from the Tigers’ All-Stars during media day. It’s been pretty fun watching the 43-year-old Verlander take it all in for the last time as he prepares to ride off into the sunset. The contrast between the legendary Tigers and Astros ace’s perspective, and that of the 21-year-old McGonigle’s first experience as a star player in the game, has been particularly fun to observe. Jokes have abounded regarding Verlander taking his three adult sons to the All-Star Game, as you’d expect. There have also been quite a few clips with Verlander reminiscing on his first All-Star Game back in 2007 and how the league and the game has changed.
Watching him chat with former foes like Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez, all now long retired, as he prepares to join them in the next phase of a ballplayer’s life has certainly provided some nostalgic moments as well.
Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander joins the show and talks about what led to his decision to retire at the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/RZkdTYDrVB
— FOX Sports: MLB (MLBONFOX) July 13, 2026

Well, we wondered if anyone would be interested after a disastrous first half, and it turns out the Boston Red Sox came calling. The Detroit Tigers have traded pinch-hitting, lefty mashing specialist Jahmai Jones to the Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later.
Getting anything at all back for Jones is fine, as the Tigers just could no longer float Jones on the active roster considering his brutal performance in the first half of the season. Jones slashed an abysmal .137/.219/.221 with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate, two home runs, and a 27 wRC+, putting him over 70 percent worse than league average.
That came of the heels of a 2025 season where he slashed. 287/.387/.550 with seven homers in 150 plate appearances and a 159 wRC+. Nearly all of these at-bats came against left-handed pitching, but even in such a specified role, Jones couldn’t repeat his 2025 run. Teams started spinning in more breaking stuff while keeping fourseam fastballs out of his sweet spot and he just could not adjust with any success. After seeing 35.1 percent fourseam fastballs in 2025, he saw just 23.1 percent of them this season, and was unable to lay off the breaking stuff well enough to get into favorable counts where pitchers might have to challenge him.
Jones got plenty of leash to try and figure it out in May and early June after a rough April, but things just got worse and his playing time quickly dried up. His plate appearances went from 37 in April and 41 in May to just 25 in June.
The emergence of Ben Malgeri as at least a decently competent hitter who, unlike Jones, is a pretty solid outfielder, cut into his playing time, and the brief hand injury to Dillon Dingler gave 1B/C Eduardo Valencia a shot as well. It’s too early to hope for too much from either, but Valencia makes for at least as good an option as Jones even in the exceedingly specific role of pitch-hitting against left-handers. He also provides more defensive utility despite being mediocre behind the plate and at first base.

The Detroit Tigers will have an All-Star starter, after all.
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene was named a starter for the American League in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, taking place on Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on Fox.
This is Greene's third straight All-Star selection and second straight as a starter, though he was not initially named as a starter via the fan vote. He and New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger will replace reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge and Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton as starters.
Greene, 25, is having arguably his best year in the majors in 2026, with career highs in on-base percentage (.380) and OPS (.842) over 400 plate appearances. The 2025 Silver Slugger Award winner has seen his power numbers dip with just 13 home runs over 95 games in 2026, but he has also significantly cut down on his strikeouts and has increased his walk rate to a career-high 12.8% (league average is 9%).
Greene is one of four Tigers players to be named AL All Stars in 2026, joining shortstop Kevin McGonigle, catcher Dillon Dingler and "Legends Pick" Justin Verlander. Greene is the only Tiger to be named a starter, however.

The News' Andrew Graham gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 4-2 loss to the Phillies on Saturday:
After writing about his moment more generally Friday, I’m writing about Eduardo Valencia again because he’s now hit two home runs amidst a fantastic start to his time in the big leagues.
Valencia, with a solo home run in the middle of Detroit’s loss on Saturday, now has a hit, run and RBI in each of his first three games in MLB.
On Thursday, Valencia had a glorious debut, mashing a home run in his first MLB at-bat and then giving an emotional interview. On Friday, he came through with a clutch RBI single to start a rally that propelled Detroit to a lopsided win. And while his homer on Saturday didn’t do much in the grand scheme for Detroit, it raises a bigger question about the offensive boost Valencia can provide.
The problem is he plays catcher primarily, where All-Star Dillon Dingler has the everyday job locked down. But significant DH reps could be in order if Valencia keeps hitting like this.

Casey Mize didn’t have his best outing, and the opposing pitcher was a tough test in this one. Cristopher Sanchez won that contest, and while the Tigers actually swung the bats reasonably well, they fumbled a few opportunities and the Phillies won 4-2 to even the series at a game apiece.
This was going to be a tough matchup no matter what as Casey Mize squared off against ace lefty Cristopher Sanchez. The Tigers did have some good news pre-game as Dillon Dingler was cleared to DH in this one. Eduardo Valencia was set to make his debut behind the plate as well.
Things started off auspiciously as Mize walked leadoff man Trea Turner, popped up Kyle Schwarber, and then allowed a double down the right field line from Bryce Harper. Mize dug in and got Brandon Marsh to ground out, and Alec Bohm popped out to Hao-Yu Lee at second. When Mize struggles through the first but escapes, typically things go well the rest of the way.
Matt Vierling immediately welcomed Sanchez to Comerica Park with a sharp single to center field, but then he was picked off by an outstanding move to first from the lefty. Kevin McGonigle flew out and Dillon Dingler struck out, and you hate to squander any chance against one of the top pitchers in the game this season.
Mize seemed to work well with Valencia, and while the latter’s arm strength and accuracy remain in some doubt, he looked pretty solid behind the plate. Mize whiffed Bryson Stott on a slurve and Gabriel Rincones Jr. on a splitter in the second.

The white-hot Detroit Tigers went for the home sweep of a three-game weeknight series against the Homeless A’s on Thursday evening, after winning the first two games in fun fashion. They made it eight wins in the past nine games with a 4-1 win to complete the sweep.
It was Framber Valdez’s turn in the rotation, and to say his season to date has been a mixed bag is one heck of an understatement. His previous two starts saw him give up four runs in six innings at home against his former Astros teammates, and six runs in five innings in Texas. His stock-in-trade is ground ****** , and when he’s on he gets a lot of ‘em: for example, his June 16 start in Houston saw him get a dozen ground ****** and half that many fly ****** , and he gave up one unearned run in six innings.
José Suarez took the mound for the A’s as an opener. He made his debut in 2019 with the Angels, but he’s had eventful few months lately: waived by Atlanta and picked up by Baltimore in mid-January, then waived by Baltimore and picked back up by Atlanta at the end of January. He was waived again by Atlanta in early May, was picked up by the Mariners, made one relief appearance for them, and had his contract purchased by the A’s less than two weeks later. This guy gets more Frequent Flyer miles than George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air. That was a solid movie.
Valdez struck out the side in the first and got a pair of ground ****** in the second, so he looked to be on-track early. Suarez stuck around for the first four outs and departed in favour of Jack Perkins, whose past few starts haven’t gone so well, so why not try an opener? He got the next two outs so the early returns looked promising for Sacramento.
That changed with one out in the third, though: Jake Rogers, starting for the injured-but-not-on-the-IL Dillon Dingler, hit his second home run in as many days, putting the Tigers up 1-0.

The News' Andrew Graham gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 4-1 victory over the Athletics on Thursday:
Detroit found itself in a pitcher's duel — Framber Valdez vs. a bullpen game for the Athletics — on Thursday, but boy did the Tigers make the hits count to stake out a lead, twice, via the long ball.
Jake Rogers hit a home run on back-to-back days with his solo shot in the third inning, as he makes the start for Dillon Dingler after his hand injury Wednesday. That was Detroit's only hit until Zach McKinstry came up in the bottom of the fifth inning with Kerry Carpenter on first base via a walk.
Working from a 3-0 to 3-2 count, McKinstry got a fast ball low and down the middle and pummeled it out to right center field. That put Detroit up, 3-1, at the time, right after giving up a run in the top of the inning — Valdez had taken a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
Slugging and hitting the long ball, specifically, has been a boost for the Detroit offense as the Tigers work out of this hole in the standings, and it's especially valuable if you're only going to manage a few hits.

Detroit Tigers catcher Eduardo Valencia couldn't have hoped for a better result in his first MLB at-bat.
Thanks to some power from unexpected sources, the Tigers beat the Athletics 4-1 on Thursday, July 9, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The win marked a sweep of the A's, the Tigers' fifth straight win and seventh in the past eight games – helped in part by Valencia's seventh-inning solo home run in his first MLB at-bat.
Valencia, who the Tigers called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day to replace an injured Dillon Dingler, started the game on the bench with Jake Rogers getting the catching duties. But with the A's bringing in lefty reliever Hogan Harris in the seventh inning, Valencia got the call to pinch hit for designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and the rookie sent a 2-1 fastball 425 feet into center field for his first ever hit, RBI, run and home run – all in the same swing.
The Tigers got power production from the bottom of the lineup, with Valencia, Rogers and shortstop Zach McKinstry all registering home runs. But the most emotional hit of the night came from the rookie Valencia, who became the 10th Tigers player to hit a home run in his first career at-bat (and the first since outfielder Akil Baddoo in 2021).
THE CALL-UP: Detroit Tigers DFA Jahmai Jones, call up Eduardo Valencia for MLB debut

Detroit Tigers catcher Eduardo Valencia couldn't have hoped for a better result in his first MLB at-bat.
Thanks to some power from unexpected sources, the Tigers beat the Athletics 4-1 on Thursday, July 9, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The win marked a sweep of the A's, the Tigers' fifth straight win and seventh in the past eight games – helped in part by Valencia's seventh-inning solo home run in his first MLB at-bat.
Valencia, who the Tigers called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day to replace an injured Dillon Dingler, started the game on the bench with Jake Rogers getting the catching duties. But with the A's bringing in lefty reliever Hogan Harris in the seventh inning, Valencia got the call to pinch hit for designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and the rookie sent a 2-1 fastball 425 feet into center field for his first ever hit, RBI, run and home run – all in the same swing.
The Tigers got power production from the bottom of the lineup, with Valencia, Rogers and shortstop Zach McKinstry all registering home runs. But the most emotional hit of the night came from the rookie Valencia, who became the 10th Tigers player to hit a home run in his first career at-bat (and the first since outfielder Akil Baddoo in 2021).
THE CALL-UP: Detroit Tigers DFA Jahmai Jones, call up Eduardo Valencia for MLB debut

DETROIT — Detroit Tigers All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler left the game against the Athletics with a injured right hand.
Dingler was hit on the throwing hand by a foul tip off the bat of Jacob Wilson in the second inning. Dingler stayed in the game after a lengthy consultation with Detroit's training staff.
In the bottom of the inning, Jake Rogers pinch hit for Dingler. Rogers hit his second homer of the season, giving Detroit a 3-0 lead.
Dingler entered the game hitting .262 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Athletics All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz left the game in the second inning due to illness. He was replaced by Jeff McNeil.