DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers announced four major roster moves Saturday morning, including the return of star outfielder Riley Greene and the end of the Jonathan Schoop era in Detroit.
It’s been a miserable week for the Tigers. First, they lost a series to the Oakland Athletics, who aren’t just the worst team in MLB -- they’re on pace for one of the worst records in league history.
Then, on Friday, the Tigers got dominated by a starting pitcher who just 10 days ago was pitching in the Toronto Blue Jays’ rookie league. He gave up 11 earned runs on 10 hits in just 2.2 innings against rookie ballers, and then turned around to dominate the Tigers over six innings (one run, five hits, and eight strikeouts).
But Saturday finally brought a bit of good news: The team’s best hitter is back.
Greene was in the midst of a breakout season before going on the injured list. Despite playing in just 52 of 87 games so far, he leads all non-pitchers in WAR. He’s also the team leader in batting average and on-base percentage. Only Kerry Carpenter has a higher OPS.
Detroit also announced the return of starting pitcher Beau Brieske, who will likely spend time in the bullpen and rotation in the second half.
Brieske quietly enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2022, posting a 4.19 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 81.2 innings. He was one of the organization’s most productive minor-league pitchers before last year’s promotion, so it’s good to see him back in the Old English D.
But with every addition, someone else has to go, and Schoop was the odd man out due to Greene’s return.
The veteran infielder spent the past four seasons in Detroit (2020-2023), at times looking like the team’s best hitter and at others struggling to produce at all. His elite defense kept him in the mix for this long, but with the Tigers getting more from Zack Short, Zach McKinstry, and Andy Ibanez, his playing time has waned.
On Saturday, the Tigers officially announced that they designed Schoop for assignment.
To make room for Brieske, Alex Faedo was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. Faedo returned from a finger injury on Friday and struggled against the Blue Jays, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings.
Saturday’s roster moves
- Riley Greene reinstated from 10-day injured list.
- Beau Brieske reinstated from 60-day injured list.
- Jonathan Schoop designated for assignment.
- Alex Faedo optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
