Detroit — Tigers shortstop Javier Baez was scratched from the starting lineup on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, he was a late addition to it.
Baez’s grandfather passed away three days ago and he’s been working with his family on arranging the wake and funeral in Puerto Rico. The logistics got worked out Tuesday.
“Javy is going to be here for the better part of the week and maybe into the weekend,” manager AJ Hinch said. “The (funeral) arrangements were made for next week sometime in Puerto Rico. We had dual plans on how we were going to react based on Javy’s family needs.”
One plan was if Baez started the bereavement leave (three to seven days) on Tuesday. The Tigers claimed veteran infielder Isan Diaz off waivers from the Giants on Monday and sent him to Triple-A Toledo. He presumably would have been called up if Baez left.
Instead, Baez will remain with the team through the Twins series and travel with the team to Boston.
“Everything will be dictated by his family’s needs and his personal mourning,” Hinch said.
Baez has made several posts on his Instagram account in memory of his grandfather. Hinch said Baez shared stories and pictures of his grandfather with the team and with him.
“He’s been emotional,” Hinch said. “He was very close to his grandfather. So, he’s had a couple of really rough days. Anybody who has lost a loved one can relate.”
The Faedo journeys
The good news is, the crazy journey finally led him back to where he wants to be. Right-hander Alex Faedo is back with the Tigers, called up Tuesday and scheduled to start against the Twins on Wednesday.
But, what a trip.
On July 23, he was called up from Toledo to make a spot start against the Padres. He made the most of that, allowing one hit over six scoreless innings. But, he was sent back the next day and didn’t pitch again until last Wednesday.
And that was at Double-A Erie. Huh?
“It’s been a lot of travel, a couple of different cities,” he said. “It is what it is. It’s part of the baseball lifestyle.”
Well, not really. The reason Faedo was in Pennsylvania last week was that the Tigers were working on a deal with the Dodgers to trade lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. The Mud Hens were in Des Moines, Iowa. Erie was playing at home. The Tigers were playing the Pirates. Logistical nightmare.
So Faedo and catcher Donny Sands had to scramble for connecting flights to get to Pittsburgh in case the trade went down. When it didn’t, they hopped in a car and drove 128 miles to Erie. Better to pitch in Double-A than miss a start.
“It’s so much that’s out of my control,” Faedo said. “I just have to do what the bosses say. We’re working for the team, so if they need you in a certain spot, that’s where you go. Things happen, you pivot and adjust from there.”
Faedo hadn’t pitched at Erie since 2019.
“It was something,” he said, smiling. “Lots of travel to throw in a 12:30 (p.m.) game. Not the most fun, but I was happy I got out on the mound.”
Lefty Joey Wentz, who was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in three innings Monday, was sent back to Toledo. There is a chance Faedo will stay in the rotation for at least a couple of turns.
Twins at Tigers
First pitch: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit / 97.1
Scouting report:
▶ RHP Bailey Ober (6-5, 3.21), Twins: He features a fairly standard package — four-seam (91 mph that plays up because of his 7-feet, 4-inch extension), sliders to right-handed hitters and changeups to lefties). But the results are anything but standard, largely because of his precise command. His 4% walk rate is in the top-5 percentile in baseball, as is his 34% chase rate.
▶ RHP Alex Faedo (2-4, 5.80), Tigers: He last pitched on Aug. 2, throwing 95 pitches in 5.1 innings at Double-A Erie. Had the Tigers traded Eduardo Rodriguez, he was in position to replace him in the rotation. In his last start for the Tigers, on July 23, he pitched six, one-hit shutout innings against the Padres.
Twitter: @cmccosky