Bullet point summary by AI
- The Detroit Tigers are mounting a surprise Wild Card push, prompting imminent roster upgrades to coincide with the shocking return of their ace pitcher.
- Struggling players like Ty Madden, Enmanuel De Jesus, Zack Short, and Jahmai Jones are at risk of losing their spots as healthier veterans return to the lineup.
- Maximizing the roster right now is vital because the team cannot afford to waste what could be the final few months of their ace’s tenure in Detroit.
Just when it felt like the Detroit Tigers’ season was over, good things have begun to happen. After Thursday’s 11-0 thrashing of the Minnesota Twins, the Tigers have now won three straight series and seven of their last nine games. They’re still 11 games under .500, but they’re out of the AL Central cellar as of this writing and are slowly but surely making up ground in the AL Wild Card race.
And now, it’s been confirmed that Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s best player by far, is set to make a downright shocking return from the IL on Saturday, not even two months after he underwent elbow surgery to remove a loose body. Skubal’s return, paired with how well the Tigers have played over the past week and change, has the fan base expressing cautious optimism. Now that the Tigers have a realistic shot of getting back in the postseason race with their ace set to return, they ought to make some other roster changes, too, by removing these four players who have struggled.
RHP Ty Madden
While Ty Madden hasn’t been awful by any means, he allowed two runs while recording only two outs in a two-run defeat against the Twins on Wednesday, and he didn’t pitch all that well as a starter in Tampa Bay on Detroit’s recent road trip. Madden did look good against the Mariners, but he’s had poor outings in two of his three appearances since being activated off the IL.
Skubal isn’t the only Tigers’ pitcher set to return from the IL, as Casey Mize is slated to start on Sunday, Kenley Jansen might be back on Friday, and even Justin Verlander is nearing his return. This goes to show that even if Madden doesn’t lose his spot for Skubal, he’s bound to for one of these other arms.
LHP Enmanuel De Jesus
While the Tigers might want to give Madden, a pitcher with only six big-league appearances this season, more time in the majors before sending him down, there’s no reason to give Enmanuel De Jesus, a pitcher who has been on their active roster for most of the season, that same kind of leeway. De Jesus has a 4.78 ERA in 18 appearances as a long reliever for the Tigers this season.
Admittedly, De Jesus has pitched pretty well of late, even throwing four scoreless innings in Tampa Bay, and if it weren’t for a couple of truly atrocious outings, his ERA wouldn’t even be so bad. Still, the Tigers can easily turn to Troy Melton or Keider Montero to pitch in long relief out of the bullpen, and with De Jesus out of options, it’d be surprising to see him on the roster past this weekend once the Tigers are healthier.
SS Zack Short
I honestly have no idea why Zack Short is on the big-league roster. Sure, injuries to Javier Baez and Trey Sweeney created an obvious need in their infield, but is Short—a player who has hit .171 with a .540 OPS this season and .172 with a .566 OPS in his career—really the solution? Is there a reason why the Tigers are choosing to roster Short over a prospect like Max Anderson, who can play second base and third base and has had a pretty good year in Triple-A?
It’s not like the Tigers are desperate for a shortstop, as both Kevin McGonigle and Zach McKinstry are on their roster. The Tigers should be eager to roster their best 26 players, especially with Skubal coming back, and it’s hard to argue that Short, a player with -0.4 bWAR in his career, is among those 26.
OF Jahmai Jones
Jahmai Jones was an unsung hero of the 2025 Tigers, breaking out to the tune of a .937 OPS in 72 games, and a .970 OPS against lefties. Jones really impressed in a platoon role, and that’s exactly how he’s been used this season, although the results simply haven’t been there.
The outfielder has just 11 hits in 79 at-bats, slashing .139/.227/.241 with two home runs and seven RBI. Among the 366 players to record at least 80 plate appearances, Jones’ 33 wRC+ ranks 356th, and it’s not as if his 61 wRC+ against lefties is anything to write home about either.
I understand the Tigers are hoping that Jones can catch lightning in a bottle again, but it’s clearly not working. Without time to waste in what is likely Skubal’s final few months with the organization, the Tigers need to have a quick trigger and hope someone else can produce more than Jones has been.
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