Manuel

Margot

Margot had come in at just .211/.299/.266 in 37 games for Toledo after failing to make a positive impression on the Tigers in April and May, when he hit .316/.300/.316 in 20 plate appearances. He’s still just 30 years old, but he’s played poorly for a year and a half now and was just mediocre in 2023. It might be time to take a good look at playing in Asia.

Detroit was able to sneak Margot through waivers and keep him in the organization without taking up a 40-man roster spot. They’re going to roll with Javier Báez in center field for now and he’s looked fantastic in his first opportunity at the position. The 30-year-old outfielder will remain stashed at Triple-A Toledo as emergency depth.

Margot has gone 4-for-15 with three strikeouts through five games, starting three of them in the outfield. Since Margot has gone on the IL, Javier Baez has moved to centerfield and is playing pretty well. It’s unclear what Margot’s role would be if/when he returns.

Margot could be activated this weekend. Justyn-Henry Malloy and Colt Keith are probably the top candidates to be sent down to make room for him on Detroit’s roster.

The Tigers acquired Hicklen from the Brewers in March, and he’s gone 5-for-21 with four runs scored and two steals in five games in Triple-A. He should be mainly a bench option in Detroit with Manuel Margot landing on the IL.

This now makes it easier to understand why Margot kept sitting in recent days with Ryan Kreisler and Zach McKinstry in the outfield. We could potentially get more Riley Greene in center field now with Kreidler and McKinstry mixing in at one of the corner outfield spots.

The White Sox took advantage of Carpenter’s southpaw issues yesterday, Martín Pérez opened the seventh inning by retiring him for a third time and then was lifted. When Carpenter was due up two on and two outs in the eighth, the White Sox brought in lefty Fraser Ellard, who got Carpenter to ground out. The Tigers did get to Ellard in the ninth, so it ended up working out for them. Still, Carpenter didn’t make much of a case for getting out of a platoon role. Manuel Margot is starting over him in right today, and Ryan Kreidler is playing center. Kreidler has started five of the last six games in center for the Tigers despite going 3-for-21 in those games. We’re not sure he’s a better option out there than playing Margot regularly.

Pérez is slated to get a cortisone injection on Friday and will miss at least a month. Manuel Margot will man center field in the meantime since Parker Meadows is also battling an injury; however, Pérez could push for playing time when he comes back if Meadows is still out.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday that Pérez underwent an MRI that revealed the severity of the issue. The 25-year-old outfielder reported back issues to the club following Sunday’s game against the Phillies where he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. He’ll receive an anti-inflammatory injection this week and will be sidelined until at least late April. His absence creates some additional runway for recently added veteran Manuel Margot to take over as Detroit’s starting center fielder.

Meadows has resumed light baseball activities, but will be shut down from throwing until late April as he continues to work his way back from a nerve-related issue in his right upper arm. The dynamic 25-year-old center fielder will be on the shelf until at least late May, even in a best-case scenario. There is no official timetable for his return at this juncture. The procedural move frees up a spot on Detroit’s 40-man roster to officially sign veteran outfielder Manuel Margot to a one-year deal.