DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers are expected to cut ties with veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda soon, according to a report.
Jon Morosi, of MLB Network, posted on Threads Thursday that Maeda is expected to be designated for assignment the next time the Tigers need to activate a relief pitcher.
That’s likely to happen “in the coming days,” Morosi wrote.
Maeda, 37, agreed to a two-year $24 million contract with the Tigers before the 2024 season. He lost his job in the starting rotation midway through last season and got moved to the bullpen.
Overall, he made 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in 2024, posting a 6.09 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while striking out 96 batters in 112.1 innings.
This season, Maeda has a 7.88 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in eight innings -- all out of the bullpen.
It looked like Maeda might have recaptured his swing-and-miss splitter during spring training, when he struck out 23 batters in 14.2 innings. He lost the battle for the final rotation spot to Casey Mize, but overall, the spring was a success.
His struggles returned as soon as the regular season began, though. Maeda allowed two runs in his first outing and then three runs in only one inning against the Chicago White Sox the next time out.
His two most recent appearances on April 27 and April 29 were scoreless innings, but he issued a walk and hit two batters while generating just three whiffs on 37 pitches.
The Tigers could recall the injured Beau Brieske soon. He made a rehab start at High-A West Michigan on Wednesday and struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning.
Despite Maeda’s struggles, the Tigers boast the best ERA in the American League, at 3.01. They’re off to a 19-12 start, which gives them a 1.5-game lead in the AL Central and the best record in the AL.
