Cleveland — Injuries, illnesses. It just won’t relent for the Tigers.
On Friday before starting a three-game set against the Guardians, the club announced that right-handed reliever Will Vest was being placed on the injured list. No injury was listed, which typically means a player is going into COVID-19 protocol.
To replace him on the roster, the Tigers purchased the contract of right-hander Drew Carlton from Toledo. Carlton, who saw action in four games last season, posted 19 strikeouts and four walks in 15 innings for the Mud Hens.
Losing Vest is a significant blow to the bullpen. He had pitched his way into a leverage role, allowing four runs in 17 innings with 22 strikeouts. Opponents were slashing .135/.200/.250 against him.
The Tigers also were busy on the waiver wire the last two days.
On Friday, they claimed utility player Brendon Davis from the Angels. The Angels had to put him waivers to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for a player returning off COVID-IL.
Davis, a fifth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2015 who will be 25 on July 28, was hitting .243, with a .333 on-base average and slugging .463 with six home runs at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he played every position except pitcher and catcher.
He’s never played in the big leagues.
In 2021, Davis hit 30 home runs and knocked in 83 runs, spanning three levels of the Angles system (High-A, Double-A and Triple-A). He hadn’t shown that type of power in his career.
With the addition of Davis, the Tigers now have 40 players on the roster.
On Thursday, the Tigers signed 31-year-old outfielder Trayce Thompson to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Toledo. Thompson is the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson and the brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
The Tigers are his sixth organization. He was designated for assignment by the Padres, where he was 1-for-14 with seven strikeouts earlier this season.
Manager AJ Hinch is expected to address the media at 5 p.m.
Twitter@cmccosky