Kenley Jansen went on the 15-day injured list Thursday with pelvic inflammation, and Detroit recalled Drew Sommers from Triple-A Toledo to take his roster spot, making the move official and updating the transaction log. The Detroit Tigers now head into the weekend without the reliever who had been handling their save chances.
Jansen left Tuesday night’s ninth inning against the Angels before the IL move. A.J. Hinch said Jansen would see a specialist and could not pitch that weekend, so the Detroit Tigers filled the bullpen spot right away instead of carrying an unavailable closer, as shown in the team update.
The ninth inning just got less settled
At the time of the move, Jansen had a 4.80 ERA and seven saves in 11 chances, per his season line at the time he hit the IL. He also had 483 career saves, which ranked third on the all-time list.
The Detroit Tigers have not publicly identified who gets the next save chance. What is clear is that the bullpen loses its usual ninth-inning reliever while the club waits for more information on Jansen’s condition.
Sommers gives Detroit a fresh left-handed arm
Sommers was the immediate recall, and the move came three days after Detroit optioned him to Toledo on May 25, according to the late-May transaction record. That puts him back in the active bullpen as the Detroit Tigers cover Jansen’s absence.
The left-hander is 25 years old, and his player page shows he recorded one strikeout in one-third of an inning on May 28. The same page also lists four major league appearances for Detroit in 2025.
Detroit is still waiting on the bigger answer
The recall solves the roster spot. It does not settle how the Detroit Tigers will handle the final inning until Jansen is evaluated further.
Hinch said Jansen will see a specialist, per Thursday’s injury update. Until that happens, the Tigers are moving forward with a changed bullpen and no confirmed public answer yet for the next save opportunity.
Recent Comments