Tigers bring back outfielder Tyler Collins from the minors

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MLB: Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
Sep 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Tyler Collins (18) reacts after striking out with bases loaded in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the start of a three-game series against the hottest team in baseball in the last 15 years, the Detroit Tigers announced a small roster change involving a very familiar name. Outfielder Tyler Collins is back with the team.

Note that Collins is having his contract “purchased” by the club, meaning that he is being put back on the 40-man roster. He was designated for assignment by the ball club back in late May after cracking the Opening Day roster with the Tigers for a second consecutive season.

Collins in 40 games with the Tigers before being DFA’d hit .200 with a .626 OPS. He went just 7-for-65 (.108 BA) with 35 strikeouts in the month of May alone, eventually leading to the roster move. After clearing waivers, Collins accepted an assignment back to the minors.

Tyler Collins
Aug 19, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Tyler Collins (18) reacts after he flies out in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

After being sent back down to Triple-A Toledo, Collins started off slow but really finished strong late in the season, finishing with perhaps his best offensive year in the minors. Tyler in 74 games with the Mud Hens produced a .288 BA and .820 OPS, with nine homers and 46 runs batted in.

Collins has really struggled to maintain a spot with the big league club since the beginning of the 2016 season, after putting together a very nice audition down the stretch in 2015. He hit rock bottom when he flipped off the Tigers faithful at Comerica Park in a late April game last season.

Tyler was very remorseful of his immature, reactionary decision and has earned second chances afterwards, but unfortunately has not been able to cash in enough.

The promotion of Collins is by and large due to Tigers outfielder Mikie Mahtook still not being 100 percent. Mahtook was scratched prior to Saturday’s middle game of a three-game weekend series in Toronto with left groin tightness.

Mahtook is not in the lineup again for the Tigers on Monday against the Cleveland Indians, while the recently-recalled Tyler Collins is, playing left field and batting seventh.

Reliever Arcenio Leon was promoted from the minors back in late May and appeared in just six games with the Tigers, the first of which was his major league debut. Leon allowed nine runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings of work.

The overall numbers for Leon down in Toledo won’t do him much justice. In 26 games, he finished with a 5.24 ERA. But that’s severely inflated do to an ERA north of 15.00 over his final ten appearances of the season.