Ibanez agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Tigers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Ibanez took a step back during his second year with the Tigers, slashing .241/.295/.357 over 244 plate appearances during the regular season. However, the Tigers have deemed his performance worthy of a $633,900 raise from his previous salary. He's expected to remain in a utility role next year.
Ibanez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and three total RBI in Sunday's 9-4 win over the White Sox.
Ibanez appeared as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning, then went deep in the seventh, giving him five home runs this season. The 31-year-old utility player has a respectable .261 average and .708 OPS, but with youngsters Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith and Jace Jung now seeing regular playing time in Detroit's infield, Ibanez may see his role shrink in coming weeks. At the very least, Ibanez is an interesting bargain option in daily leagues whenever he's in the lineup.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Hitting second against lefty
Rotowire
Ibanez will start in left field and bat second in Thursday's game against the Cubs.
With a southpaw (Justin Steele) on the hill for the Cubs, the Tigers are giving three of their lefty-hitting regulars (Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Trey Sweeney) the afternoon off while opening up a prominent spot in the lineup for Ibanez. The 31-year-old utility man should remain a fixture in the lineup versus lefties for the rest of the season, as he's produced a. 958 OPS in those matchups so far in 2024.
Ibanez went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Ibanez got the Tigers on the board with an RBI double in the fifth inning and then added an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch in the seventh. While he isn't playing every day, the 31-year-old is hitting a ridiculous .388 with all four of his home runs and 20 of his 23 RBI against left-handed pitching this season.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Leads offense in win
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Ibanez went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Phillies.
Ibanez continued a strong June, as he's now batting .314 this month with six RBI and six runs scored across 15 games. The utility player is batting a solid .284 overall, and while he's not providing a ton of power, he has been a solid bat for the Tigers. Ibanez's biggest question moving forward is playing time, though Detroit figures to find creative ways to get him into the lineup even if he's not locked into a regular starting role.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Late addition to Friday's lineup
Rotowire
Ibanez will start at second base and bat seventh against the Red Sox on Friday.
Ibanez was initially slated to sit Friday, but he was inserted into the lineup after Mark Canha was scratched due to left hip soreness. Ibanez will go up against Boston right-hander Tanner Houck.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Four hits, two homers vs. Cleveland
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Ibanez went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four total RBI and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Guardians.
Ibanez led off the game with a solo homer off Logan Allen before breaking a 2-2 tie with a three-run shot in the second inning. It's the second multi-homer game of Ibanez's career, though he hadn't logged an extra-base hit through his first 13 games this season. The 31-year-old utility man is now slashing .364/.361/.576 with seven RBI and seven runs scored in 36 plate appearances. Ibanez could take on a platoon role at second base, as Colt Keith's struggled to start the campaign.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Activated from injured list
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The Tigers activated Ibanez (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
Ibanez wound up missing a little more than three weeks of action with a strained left hamstring. The utility player should see some starts for the Tigers against left-handed pitching.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Continuing rehab assignment
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Ibanez (hamstring) will start at second base for Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Ibanez has played two games in Triple-A as part of his rehab assignment, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and one RBI over that span. If all goes well in Sunday's stint, Ibanez could be available for the Tigers' next series against the Cardinals starting Monday.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Goes through full workout
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Ibanez (hamstring) went through a full workout at second base Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
McCosky added that Ibanez didn't appear to be favoring his left hamstring at all. The veteran utility player would appear to be close to beginning a rehab assignment, with a return before the end of the month possible. Once he rejoins the Tigers, most of Ibanez's playing time figures to come against lefties.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Set for rehab assignment
Rotowire
Ibanez (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Ibanez went through a full workout Tuesday and didn't have any issues, clearing the way for him to play in rehab games. He's missed just over two weeks of action with a left hamstring strain and shouldn't need many rehab at-bats before being activated.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Taking batting practice
Rotowire
Ibanez (hamstring) took batting practice at Comerica Park on Monday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
It's the first time he's taken batting practice on the field since he suffered a left hamstring strain a little over a week ago. Ibanez will head to extended spring training this weekend to continue his rehab before rejoining the Tigers early next week. It's possible he could be activated at that time, although the team has not yet made that determination.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Hitting, doing agility drills
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Ibanez (hamstring) has begun hitting and going through light agility drills, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Ibanez is on the injured list with a left hamstring strain which he suffered last weekend, but he's feeling well enough to start incorporating some baseball activities. There's no timeline for his return yet, but he would seem to have a good shot to be back before the end of April.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Lands on IL with strained hamstring
Rotowire
Ibanez was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Tigers on Monday with a left hamstring strain, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Ibanez evidently suffered the injury during Sunday's game against the Athletics and will now be sidelined for at least the next week and a half. Wenceel Perez is absorbing his roster spot.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Not in starting lineup Saturday
Rotowire
Ibanez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics.
Ibanez is batting .308 with three RBI over 15 plate appearances to start the season, but he will take a seat against right-hander Paul Blackburn. Expect Ibanez to start primarily against left-handed pitching while moving around the diamond.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Won't start Saturday vs. White Sox
Rotowire
Ibanez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the White Sox.
Ibanez started at third base in the Tigers' season opener Thursday and batted in the leadoff spot against lefty Garrett Crochet. He finished the game going 1-for-2 with one RBI on a sacrifice fly. Zach McKinstry will draw the start at third base Saturday and bat ninth against White Sox right-hander Michael Soroka.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Hitting leadoff in opener
Rotowire
Ibanez will start at third base and bat leadoff in Thursday's season opener versus the White Sox.
Ibanez not only gets the nod over Gio Urshela at third base but also finds himself at the top of the batting order against left-hander Garrett Crochet. Parker Meadows -- who could be the favorite to bat leadoff versus righties -- is hitting ninth Thursday.
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Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Impressing in camp
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Ibanez has played well this spring and likely has locked up an Opening Day roster spot, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Ibanez was a pleasant surprise for the Tigers last season and he's carried that over into camp, as he's now popped four home runs in 15 Grapefruit League contests to go along with a .963 OPS. The utility player doesn't have a regular home on the diamond, but if he keeps swinging a hot bat, he may force his way into the lineup more often.
