CLEVELAND — Another day, another player to the injured list.
The Detroit Tigers can’t catch a break.
Right-handed reliever Will Vest was placed on the injured list before Friday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. The 26-year-old tested positive for COVID-19.
Vest must sit out least 10 days before attempting to produce the consecutive negative tests needed for a return.
“We think that we’ve contained it,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
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Over the past few days, Hinch has dealt with an illness of his own. He has taken numerous COVID tests, but his results continue to come back negative. He spent Thursday’s off-day in bed and didn’t sleep much last night.
“I feel useless,” Hinch said.
Hinch then announced he will miss Friday’s game with a non-COVID illness, with bench coach George Lombard taking his place as manager for the first of three games in Cleveland.
“I gave him my thoughts on specific things,” Hinch said. “He’s been sitting next to me for a year, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue whatsoever on the managing side. But it’ll be different. I’ve never spent a game where I’ve been the manager in a hotel room. That’ll be new. I just hope I stay awake.”
Hinch expects to return for Saturday’s game.
To replace Vest on the active roster, the Tigers purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Drew Carlton. He opened the season with Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers also added utility player Brendon Davis to the 40-man roster, claiming him off waivers Friday from the Los Angeles Angels.
Davis will report to Toledo.
“It sucks,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “You feel bad for the guys that just don’t feel good. They’ve done nothing wrong, they’re just in a situation where they got sick. For our guys who got hurt, I feel the same way. They didn’t do anything wrong. The injury bug just jumped up and bit them.”
Vest appeared in 14 games for the Tigers this season, posting a 2.12 ERA with four walks and 22 strikeouts across 17 innings. He made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2021, as a 2020 Rule 5 draft pick, but was returned to the Tigers in July.
Carlton, a former 32nd-round draft pick, pitched in four games for the Tigers last season, including his MLB debut in September. The 26-year-old had four walks and one strikeout, to go with a 4.91 ERA, in 3⅔ innings.
In November, the Tigers removed Carlton from the 40-man roster. For Triple-A Toledo in 2022, Carlton had a 3.60 ERA with four walks and 19 strikeouts across 15 innings in 12 relief appearances.
“I’m feeling good,” Carlton said. “The sinker has been a pretty big pitch for me this year. I started messing around with that in spring, and I feel like throwing that off my four-seam really throws the hitters off. I feel like that’s going to be a big pitch for me this year.”
Claiming Davis provides organizational depth in the infield and outfield.
The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Davis in the fifth round in 2015, but the 24-year-old most recently played for Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels’ organization. He also spent time in the Texas Rangers’ organization.
For Salt Lake in 2022, Davis hit .243 with six home runs, 18 walks and 31 strikeouts in 36 games. He has experience at every position but pitcher and catcher.
Davis, a right-handed hitter, launched 30 home runs and hit .290 across 124 games in the minor leagues last season, advancing from High-A Tri-City (63 games) to Double-A Rocket City (30 games) to Salt Lake (31 games).
He has not yet reached the majors.
The Tigers’ 40-man roster was at 39 players entering Friday.
After the Carlton, Davis and Vest moves, the 40-man roster is full. Players on the injured list due to a positive COVID test — such as Vest — do not count against the 40-man roster.
“There’s going to be a game today, and we’re going to have to have guys step up,” reliever Michael Fulmer said. “The goal is still to win today’s game. … Just kind of that next-man-up mentality. We’ve done it all year. Things haven’t gone exactly our way, but we have guys more than capable of winning ballgames, no matter the circumstances, no matter the injuries.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.