How Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals became a candidate for AL MVP
Jaylon Thompson, Royals sportswriter for the Kansas City Star, joins our Tigers podcast “Days of Roar” to talk about the impressive play of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Pérez could miss the remainder of his rookie season after straining his left oblique muscle in Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
The Tigers have not ruled him out, but manager AJ Hinch gave no guarantee that Pérez would return before the season finale on September 30.
“I’m just sad for him,” Hinch told reporters before Saturday’s game in San Francisco. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take or what we can salvage from the season. We’re going to do our best to get him healthy and hopefully get him back in some games before the end of the year.”
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Pérez, a switch-hitter, landed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained left oblique muscle, but he is expected to be out much longer than 10 days. The Tigers brought back outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo as his replacement.
After Saturday, the Tigers have 44 games left in the 2024 season.
The strained left oblique muscle appeared to have happened when Pérez swung at a 93 mph fastball from Giants left-hander Robbie Ray in the fourth inning of Friday’s 3-2 loss at Oracle Park. It was his only at-bat in two appearances at the plate, in which he made 11 pitches. After the at-bat, Pérez touched his left side with his left hand, indicating an injury. He did not enter the field on defense in the bottom of the fourth inning.
LONG WAIT: Casey Mize begins rehab, but is not allowed to join the Tigers until August 30
Pérez has a batting average of .242 with nine home runs, 27 walks and 76 strikeouts in 97 games during the 2024 season, with an OPS of .684. In his last 15 games, he has a batting average of .143 with four walks and 13 strikeouts.
If Kerry Carpenter, also a left-handed outfielder, returns from the injured list (which could happen as early as this week), Baddoo seems like the obvious candidate for a trade to Triple-A Toledo.
Baddoo, who had a .117 batting average in 26 games, can only be optioned one more time in 2024 before being placed on waivers, meaning the Tigers won’t risk losing him this time.
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Riley Greene is ready to run
• Outfielder Riley Greene (right hamstring strain) is scheduled to run the bases Sunday in San Francisco, the final step before beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo. After Sunday’s session, Greene could be called upon to run the bases again Monday in Detroit. Regardless, the 23-year-old appears likely to play as the designated hitter for the Mud Hens on Tuesday. Greene, who has a history of lower-body injuries, has not played for the Tigers since July 25.
• Right-hander Casey Mize (left hamstring strain) is scheduled to make his second start in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday. The 27-year-old pitched 2⅓ innings and 35 pitches in his start with the Mud Hens on Thursday, the first of what could be four rehab appearances. In that game, Mize had three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. He had six whiffs in 15 swings with three fastballs, two splitters and a sinker. His fastball averaged 95.3 mph and maxed out at 98.2 mph. Mize hasn’t pitched for the Tigers since June 30 and won’t be eligible to return from the injured list until Aug. 30.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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