Detroit — The Tigers continue to seek every possible matchup advantage they can, short-term or long-term.
Before the game Sunday, the club purchased the contract of left-handed hitting outfielder Brett Callahan from Triple-A Toledo and designated Trei Cruz for assignment.
The move was made to bolster the roster, first against White Sox right-hander Sean Burke on Sunday and then for the series in Pittsburgh where the Tigers are expected to face three right-handed starters, including Paul Skenes on Wednesday.
“We’re continuing to try and answer the challenges that are in front us,” manager AJ Hinch said. “Right now, it’s a run of right-handed pitching.”
With Riley Greene (hamstring), Kerry Carpenter (plantar fasciitis) and James Outman (concussion) on the injured list, the left-handedness of the Tigers’ roster has been weakened. And Callahan, a 13th-round pick in 2023, had a .403 on-base and an .879 OPS against right-handed pitching in Double-A and Triple-A combined this season.
“There are players who work their way through the system that deserve opportunity,” Hinch said. “We keep saying that over and over. You are going to see him play with a ton of energy. He’s got a big swing. He’s got some impact against right-handed pitching and some athleticism to run the bases. All things we are attracted to and we feel can help us gain some small edges against the right-handed starters we’re going to face.”
Callahan, 24, was slashing .271/.351/.338 with a .689 OPS in 151 plate appearances at Toledo. He had a .505 slug with 12 homers and an .878 OPS at Double-A Erie.
He made his big-league debut Sunday, starting in left field and batting seventh. He hit a two-run triple down the right-field line on the first pitch he saw from Burke in the second inning. He later struck out looking in the third before he was replaced by Ben Malgeri in the sixth.
“The newness will be the hardest part,” Hinch said. “He’s not had a ton of upper-level experience but he’s played with a lot of these guys and that’s what I told him. Lean on the guys you’ve been teammates with. He’s seen them make that step. Hopefully his transition can be easier.”
Hinch said it’s possible that Callahan and right-handed hitting Ben Malgeri or Corey Julks could platoon in left field until Greene gets healthy.
Cruz, 28, a switch-hitter who was a third-round pick by the Tigers in the 2020 draft, has just five at-bats with Detroit this season, with no hits. He didn’t play during this latest callup.
“He hasn’t really gotten an opportunity here,” Hinch said. “He does offer a lot of versatility to a team. But when he came up, we were still deciding how the roster would go with the injury to Riley and Trei was on the 40-man roster. I have a lot of respect for him professionally, just how he’s handled an up-and-down season on the field and transactionally, these are just shocks.”
Especially when they happen after the trade deadline. Cruz will go on waivers and be available to every team.
“He hasn’t had a ton of opportunity yet,” Hinch said. But I believe in his makeup and his ability to figure it out, whether it’s with us if he clears and finds himself back in Toledo, or if it’s with another organization.”
On deck: Pirates
Series: Three games at PNC Park, Pittsburgh
First pitch: Monday — 7:05 p.m.; Tuesday — 6:40 p.m.; Wednesday — 12:35 p.m.
TV/radio: Monday — ESPN/97.1; Tuesday-Wednesday — DSN/97.1
Probables: Monday — LHP Framber Valdez (7-8, 4.26) vs. TBA; Tuesday — RHP Keider Montero (9-7, 3.22) vs. TBA; Wednesday — RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 6.23) vs. RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88)
Valdez, Tigers: He needs to find a way to start on time. His first innings have been rough, as the 7.23 ERA in that inning would indicate. He’s allowed 19 earned runs in 24 first innings this season with opponents hitting three homers and posting an .891 OPS. After two strong starts in August, he couldn’t lock in his command against the Guardians (five walks and a hit batter) last time out.
TBA, Pirates: The Pirates have not announced their starting pitcher.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers call up outfielder to make major-league debut Sunday
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
