His rehab assignment has ended, but Manuel Margot won’t be rejoining the Tigers. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)AP
Outfielder Manuel Margot’s injury rehab assignment is over, but he won’t be rejoining the Detroit Tigers.
Margot was reinstated from the injured list and then outrighted to Triple-A Toledo after clearing waivers, the team announced Wednesday.
Margot had the right to reject the outright assignment but has chosen to accept it.
Infielder/outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy and third baseman Jace Jung would have been the likeliest candidates to be optioned if the Tigers had chosen to bring Margot back to the big leagues.
Wednesday’s move buys them some time until the return of outfielder Matt Vierling, who is currently on a rehab assignment with the Mud Hens.
Margot, 30, was signed just before Opening Day to help bolster the Tigers’ weakened outfield depth. He went 6-for-19 before suffering a knee injury on April 7.
The fact that the Tigers were willing to risk losing Margot indicates they are confident in Vierling’s progress.
Outfielders Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez remain on the 60-day injured list and have not yet begun rehab assignments.
In other news, the Tigers placed right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda on unconditional release waivers after designating him for assignment six days ago. There is no chance that another team will pick up Maeda’s salary, so the move is a mere formality before Maeda becomes a free agent.
TIGERS’ 40-MAN ROSTER (38)
Left-handed pitchers (5): Sean Guenther, Tyler Holton, Bailey Horn, Brant Hurter, Tarik Skubal.
Right-handed pitchers (16): John Brebbia*, Beau Brieske, Alex Cobb*, Jack Flaherty, Jason Foley**, Brenan Hanifee, Jackson Jobe, Tommy Kahnle, Chase Lee, Matt Manning, Tyler Mattison**, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Reese Olson, Tyler Owens, Will Vest.
Catchers (3): Dillon Dingler, Tomás Nido, Jake Rogers*.
Infielders (9): Javier Báez, Jace Jung, Andy Ibáñez, Colt Keith, Ryan Kreidler, Zach McKinstry, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres.
Outfielders (5): Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Brewer Hicklen, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Matt Vierling*.
*On 10-day or 15-day injured list
**On minor-league injured list
Right-handed pitchers Alex Lange (right lat strain and surgery), Sawyer Gipson-Long (Tommy John surgery and hip), José Urquidy (Tommy John surgery) and Ty Madden (rotator cuff strain); and outfielders Parker Meadows (right upper arm inflammation) and Wenceel Pérez (lower back inflammation) are on the 60-day injured list and do not count against the 40-man roster.
