Injuries & Moves: Jahmai Jones signs Minor League deal
The Tigers' injuries and roster moves page will be updated throughout the offseason. Detroit's 40-man Major League roster is currently full.
LATEST NEWS
Nov. 20: IF/OF Jahmai Jones signed to Minor League contract
Jones’ signing, which includes a non-roster invite to Spring Training, gives the Tigers depth at several positions along with an athletic right-handed hitter. The former Angel, Oriole, Brewer and Yankee hit .238 with a home run and four RBIs in 33 games for New York this past season, but batted .304 with an .880 OPS at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .302 with an .883 OPS against lefties between the two stops. He has played everywhere but shortstop and catcher in his pro career.
Jones comes from a football family with Detroit connections. His older brother, T.J. Jones, was a wide receiver for the Lions from 2015 to 2018, catching 64 passes for 814 yards and four touchdowns. His late father, Andre Jones, was a linebacker for the Lions in 1992.
Nov. 19: RHPs Chase Lee, Tyler Mattison and Tyler Owens selected to 40-man roster; IF/OF Eddys Leonard and RHPs Ricky Vanasco and Brendan White designated for assignment
All three roster additions are relievers who would’ve been attractive options for teams in the Rule 5 Draft had they not been protected. Lee and Owens came from the Rangers system in July trades for Andrew Chafin and Carson Kelly, respectively, and showed an uptick in form at Triple-A Toledo. Mattison missed the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, but dominated hitters in 2023 with a 2.41 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings between Double-A Erie and High-A West Michigan.
Leonard, the Tigers’ No. 29 prospect, made a solid impression in Spring Training but an oblique injury in April set the tone for a frustrating season that left him out of Detroit’s plans. He hit .263/.326/.455 in 67 games at Triple-A Toledo while playing everywhere but left field and catcher. He’s out of Minor League options, so the Tigers would’ve had to designate him for assignment next spring if he didn’t make the Opening Day roster. White has a high-spin arsenal that propelled him from a 26th-round pick in 2019 to 33 games out of the Tigers bullpen in 2023, but pitched in just eight games in the system this year due to injury, including a hydrodissection procedure to address a nerve issue in August.
Nov. 5: RHP Alex Lange (lat surgery) progressing in rehab, could be ready for Spring Training
Lange, the Tigers’ closer for most of 2023, ended last season on the injured list at Triple-A Toledo after tearing his latissimus dorsi tendon in a June 14 game for the Mud Hens. The procedure ended his season, but president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters at MLB’s GM Meetings on Tuesday that Lange is making good progress towards being ready for next season, though the Tigers aren’t ready to set a timetable.
“Last time I checked in with him, he feels great,” Harris said. “Right now, no setbacks at all. He's progressing really well. He's trying to shorten that [timetable] as much as possible. Whether he's going to be ready for Spring Training, I'm not sure yet.”
Though Lange would have enough service time to reach arbitration as a Super-2 player, he did not spend enough days in the Major Leagues this past season to qualify. He remains on the 40-man roster.
Nov. 4: Declined $3.1 million club option on RHP Casey Mize
Unlike most contract options, the Tigers retain club control on Mize, who’s two years away from free agency. The only difference this decision makes beyond a $10,000 buyout is that Mize will again be eligible for arbitration. The two sides were on the verge of a hearing last winter over a $25,000 difference before settling on a one-year, $840,000 deal along with the club option, which was widely expected to be declined unless Mize had an outstanding comeback campaign.
Mize posted a 2-6 record and 4.49 ERA in 22 games this past season, his first following Tommy John and back surgeries that cost him the better part of two years. He spent two months on the injured list after suffering a left hamstring strain at the end of June, then went to the bullpen by season’s end. The Tigers are banking on a step forward from Mize next year in his second season back from surgery, typically when pitchers get back to their usual combination of velocity and command.
Nov. 4: SS Javier Báez and RHPs Alex Faedo, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Brendan White reinstated from 60-day injured list; 1B/OF Bligh Madris, LHP Bryan Sammons and OF Ryan Vilade cleared waivers and outrighted from 40-man roster
The procedural moves bring Detroit’s roster up to date for the offseason and the start of free agency, though with a full 40-man roster, the Tigers will need to open more spots to sign free agents or add prospects ahead of next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
Gipson-Long missed the entire season following Tommy John surgery, but began a throwing program at the end of September and should be on track to pitch in Spring Training. White, who pitched in 33 games for Detroit in 2023, tossed just 7 1/3 innings in the Minor Leagues this year in an injury-plagued season that ended with a right radial nerve injury that required a hydrodissection procedure, similar to what Beau Brieske underwent a year earlier. White was cleared for a standard offseason program and should be ready to compete in Spring Training.
Madris, Sammons and Vilade all had stints in Detroit this past season before ending the season at Triple-A Toledo. Sammons was a key part of several bullpen games in August, posting a 3.62 ERA over six games and 27 1/3 innings.
Nov. 2: RHP Devin Sweet traded to Phillies for cash considerations
The Tigers claimed the reliever off waivers from the Giants last January and brought him to Spring Training but never called him up. The 28-year-old led the Mud Hens with 52 appearances and 111 strikeouts, allowing 62 hits over 76 innings while walking 38 batters. He would’ve been a Minor League free agent if the Tigers didn’t add him to their 40-man roster.
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Alex Lange (lat surgery)
Expected return: Possibly Spring Training
Lange has progressed without setbacks since undergoing surgery for a torn latissimus dorsi tendon in June, according to president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The Tigers are not yet ready to determine whether he could be ready to pitch in Spring Training. (Last updated: Nov. 5)
INF Javier Báez (right hip surgery)
Expected return: Possibly Opening Day 2025
Báez had season-ending arthroscopic right hip surgery on Sept. 3 and returned to Detroit for rehab work at Comerica Park. He is expected to take part in Spring Training workouts with a chance to be ready for Opening Day. (Last updated: Oct. 14)
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (left hip, right forearm)
Expected return: 2025
Gipson-Long began a throwing program the week of Sept. 30, about five months after he underwent Tommy John surgery. It’s an encouraging development towards getting him back to pitching next year. (Last updated: Sept. 27)