The Detroit Tigers re-signed left-handed reliever Miguel Del Pozo, who has pitched in 89 games out of the bullpen for Triple-A Toledo over the past two seasons, on Friday to a minor-league contract. It’s unclear if he received an invitation to MLB spring training.
The 30-year-old pitched five games for the Tigers in 2021 but didn’t reach the big leagues this season.
Del Pozo has found success against left-handed hitters in his professional career, with lefties batting .131 against in 2021 and .195 in 2022 at Toledo. He elected free agency at the end of the season but decided to return to the Tigers’ organization.
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The Tigers kept Del Pozo on the 40-man roster throughout last offseason, but in April, he was designated for assignment. He posted a 3.88 ERA with 16 walks and 66 strikeouts over 53⅓ innings for the Mud Hens, giving him 11.1 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings in 55 appearances.
In 2021, Del Pozo registered 12.7 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings over 34 outings in Toledo. He had a 2.82 ERA with 16 walks and 54 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings.
His MLB career, however, is a small sample, pitching 18⅓ innings in 27 total appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and Tigers in 2021. He has a 9.82 ERA in his career with 18 walks and 17 strikeouts.
For 2023, Del Pozo provides the Tigers with lefty reliever depth at the Triple-A level.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.