The Tigers will option outfielder JaCoby Jones to Triple-A and recall Victor Reyes to take his roster spot, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
Both Jones and Reyes have struggled so far this season in their limited opportunities. Jones, the opening day starter in center, owns an uninspiring triple slash line of .175/.208/.258 through 101 plate appearances. The 29-year-old is struggling in all facets at the plate right now. He’s only walking in 4.0 percent of his plate appearances while striking out a too-often 39.6 percent of the time. He’s also not hitting for power with just a .082 ISO. All in all, the total package amounts to a 27 wRC+.
Reyes hasn’t fared much better in his 65 plate appearances so far, hitting just .143/.169/.238 before his demotion. The 26-year-old Reyes has posted just a 3.1 percent walk rate and .095 ISO while striking out 27.7 percent of the time. At the very least, Reyes has done a better job of putting the ball in play, and a .182 BABIP suggests there’s potential for improvement if he can continue to do so. Reyes should be feeling better about his at-bat skills after a stellar 11-game sample in Triple-A that saw him hit .419/.490/.581 over 51 plate appearances. As much as Jones has struggles, the Tigers may also feel that Reyes deserves another look given his strong play for Toledo.