MLB Player News
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Colt Keith 3B | DET
Tigers' Colt Keith: Sitting for nightcap
Keith is out of the lineup for the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.
Keith started at first base in the Tigers' 5-3 loss in Game 1, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI. With lefty Trevor Rogers starting for the Orioles in the nightcap, Keith will retreat to the bench while Spencer Torkelson re-enters the starting nine at first base.
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Zach McKinstry 2B | DET
Tigers' Zach McKinstry: On bench for nightcap
McKinstry is out of the lineup for the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.
After going 0-for-3 with a walk as the Tigers' leadoff batter in a 5-3 loss earlier in the day, the left-handed-hitting McKinstry will take a seat for the nightcap while the Orioles send southpaw Trevor Rogers to the bump. Hao-Yu Lee will enter the starting nine in place of McKinstry, covering second base while batting eighth.
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Troy Melton SP | DET
Tigers' Troy Melton: Activated, will start Sunday
The Tigers reinstated Melton (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and will have him start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader in Baltimore.
Detroit designated right-hander Connor Seabold for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Melton, who will be making his 2026 debut with the Tigers after spending the first two months of the season on the shelf while recovering from a right elbow strain. Melton showed little sign of rust over his four-start rehab assignment (three with Single-A Lakeland, one with Triple-A Toledo), compiling a 1.54 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 11.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander finished the 2025 season as a reliever for Detroit but should be in line for a longer-term look in the big-league rotation this time around while the Tigers wait for the likes of Tarik Skubal (elbow) and Justin Verlander (hip) to return from the IL. Melton covered 63 pitches and five innings in his final rehab start, so he could face some light workload restrictions during Sunday's outing.
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Framber Valdez SP | DET
Tigers' Framber Valdez: Sharp in no-decision Sunday
Valdez allowed one run on two hits across six innings of work and did not factor into the decision in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Orioles. He walked two and struck out five.
Valdez allowed a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson in the sixth inning but was otherwise unblemished Sunday. He was at 92 pitches after six innings and maybe could have come back for the seventh, but Detroit turned to its bullpen, which ultimately blew a lead and cost Valdez his third win of the season. It was still an encouraging effort for the lefty, who had allowed 16 runs (13 earned) in 14.2 innings across his last three appearances. This is more what the Tigers expected when they inked Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract in the offseason, but he's been mostly pedestrian with a 4.28 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 50 strikeouts across 61 innings this year. He'll look to build on this performance in his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday against the White Sox on the road.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Tigers' Kenley Jansen: Blows another save Sunday
Jansen (1-3) allowed three runs on a hit and two walks across an inning of work to blow the save and take the loss in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Orioles.
With Baltimore mounting a rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jansen was called on with two outs to face Pete Alonso. The veteran reliever got the slugger out on three pitches, but he had a much harder time when he came back out for the ninth. Jansen walked two batters before allowing a walkoff, three-run home run to Colton Cowser in a 5-3 loss. The setback was Jansen's fourth blown save already in 11 opportunities this year, and it raised his ERA from 3.38 to 5.02. Jansen is third all time and leads all active players with 483 career saves, but with Kyle Finnegan pitching much better out of Detroit's bullpen at the moment, the Tigers could consider a change in the closer role.
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Lawrence Butler RF | ATH
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Fading into bench role
Butler is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.
On the bench for the sixth time in seven games, Butler looks to have moved into a fourth-outfielder role while rookie Henry Bolte has taken over as the Athletics' primary option in center field. After producing five hits in his first three big-league games, Bolte has slowed down of late with a .535 OPS over his subsequent seven contests, so it may not be long before playing time reopens for Butler if Bolte's bat doesn't start heating back up.
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Brent Rooker DH | ATH
Athletics' Brent Rooker: Taking seat in series finale
Rooker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.
The Athletics will hand Rooker just his second day off since he was reinstated from the injured list April 26. With Rooker resting, the Athletics will go with Shea Langeliers in the designated-hitter spot, clearing the way for Jonah Heim to pick up a start behind the plate.
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Darell Hernaiz SS | ATH
Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Twelve-game starting streak ends
Hernaiz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.
Alika Williams will pick up his first start for the Athletics since being acquired last weekend while Hernaiz retreats to the bench for the series finale in San Diego. Hernaiz had started at shortstop in each of the Athletics' last 12 games, going 12-for-36 (.333 average) with one stolen base, six runs and two RBI during that stretch.
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Andrew Benintendi DH | CHW
White Sox's Andrew Benintendi: Idle against lefty
Benintendi is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
After a string of 11 consecutive starts, the left-handed-hitting Benintendi will get a break for Sunday's day game while the Giants send lefty Robbie Ray to the mound. Randal Grichuk will replace Benintendi in the starting nine, occupying left field and batting cleanup.