The Tigers will designate righty Drew Hutchison for assignment prior to tonight’s game against the A’s, the team announced yesterday. The move will create a spot on the active 26-man roster for rookie Joey Wentz, whose call-up was covered here yesterday. Wentz will make his MLB debut tonight, and then the Tigers will decide whether he or fellow rookie Alex Faedo will get a start next week.
The Hutchison DFA will drop the Tigers’ 40-man roster down to 39. Hutchison, 31, is no stranger to being bounced off a 40-man roster. The Blue Jays’ 2015 Opening Day starter, Hutchison was outrighted by the Pirates in 2017, the Pirates and Rangers in 2018, and his current team, the Tigers, last year. So far, Hutchison has added another 15 2/3 innings to his resume in 2022, working as a low-leverage reliever for Detroit.
The Tigers’ rotation is the more pressing concern, with an ERA that ranks 22nd in baseball and has averaged 4.71 innings per start. Tarik Skubal has been a revelation, and free agent signings Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Pineda have done acceptable work. Matt Manning is working his way back from a shoulder injury, while Casey Mize is set for his first rehab start tomorrow after an elbow sprain. Though Wentz, Faedo, and Beau Brieske are not considered top prospects, the rookies will continue to deserve as the Tigers’ primary depth options once everyone is healthy.