Alex Muller
Prior to the start of their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday, the Detroit Tigers placed outfielder JaCoby Jones on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain.
The Tigers today have placed OF JaCoby Jones on the 10-day DL with a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, OF Mikie Mahtook has been recalled from Triple A Toledo. Additionally, RHP Jacob Turner has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple A Toledo.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) August 13, 2018
Jones was quite active in the Tigers’ series finale with the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. On one play, he had to run down a deep fly ball to center field and make a leaping attempt, but could not corral it and fell into the wall. But the apparent hamstring injury likely came on an infield single in which his leg collided with Twins first baseman Tyler Austin. Jones then showed discomfort while running down a fly ball later in the game.
He was eventually pulled from the contest. Jones in his first real full big league season with the Tigers is hitting .204 with a .619 OPS through 104 games, with eight home runs, nine stolen bases, and 26 runs batted in. Defensively, he has been rated as one of the better defenders in all of baseball, racking up 19 defensive runs saved while posting an 8.9 in the UZR department, between time left and center field.
Rejoining the club from Triple-A Toledo is fellow LSU alum, outfielder Mikie Mahtook. This will be the fourth separate stint with the big league club for Mikie. The Tigers’ starting left fielder on Opening Day struggled to open the season and has never really regained any consistency in any of his two previous call-ups prior. Overall, Mahtook is slashing just .200/.239/.257 in his 30 games (113 plate appearances) with the Tigers, striking out nearly seven percent more this season (27.4) than he did in 2017 (20.8). He was slashing .251/.321/.452 in 72 games with the Mud Hens this season.
Mahtook is in the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the White Sox. He is expected to see some time in both left and center field, sharing duties with incumbents Victor Reyes and Mike Gerber.
Mahtook kept his apartment in Royal Oak and has commuted to Toledo during his stints as a Mud Hen.
He said the drive is not as bad as it sounds and gives him a chance to unwind after games. https://t.co/7WlRDYHCaP
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) August 13, 2018
The Tigers also announced on Monday that pitcher Jacob Turner has cleared waivers and been outrighted back to Triple-A. Turner made a spot start last week in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels, following the trade of Mike Fiers, giving up seven runs (five earned) in just one inning. He was then designated for assignment days later when the team signed reliever Zach McAllister to a major league deal. That spot in the rotation has since then been given to Artie Lewicki, who toes the slab on Monday.
The Tigers signed Turner back in early June after he was let go by the Miami Marlins. He has a combined 4.50 ERA in 22 appearances at the Triple-A level this season and has surrendered 15 earned runs in just 6.2 innings of work at the major league level.
