Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney is not in Sunday's lineup when they conclude a series against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Sweeney has become an everyday player in the Detroit starting nine and will be given a typical day off. Fantasy managers should expect the former 20th overall pick to return to the starting nine on Monday evening when they host the Boston Red Sox. This afternoon, Zach McKinstry will shift to shortstop and bat in the six-hole. Over his last 20 games, Sweeney has been very productive at the plate, holding a .275/.359/.377 slash line with one double and two home runs. However, he has generated a modest .308 xwOBA, which suggests he could face some regression later in the season. The Tigers are best to fade in DFS facing Texas right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (hamstring) has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 9. The right-hander was fantastic against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. He gave up one earned run across six innings of work. However, Mize reportedly injured his hamstring during the late stages of that outing. As a result, Mize will be sidelined for a few weeks, which is a shame considering how well he has been pitching this season. The Tigers have reportedly named Keider Montero as Tuesday's starter. If he pitches well, Montero could see more starts in the rotation while Mize is out. Fantasy managers shouldn't jump to the waiver wire to add Montero unless you're desperate for pitching in deeper leagues. He'll face the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (oblique) is playing catch, hitting batting practice in the cage and completing defensive drills on a daily basis, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Rogers began playing catch in late April and has now increased his baseball activities as he rehabs from a strained left oblique. Barring any setbacks once he starts a minor-league rehab assignment, the 30-year-old veteran backstop is expected to rejoin the big-league squad in late May. In just six games this year before his injury, Rogers had gone 4-for-18 with a triple, three runs scored, four walks and five strikeouts for the Tigers. Rogers had a career-high 21 homers and 49 RBI in 107 games in 2023 but finished with just 10 long balls last year. Like most catchers, he struggles to make contact and isn't going to hit for average, but he should play regularly while splitting time with Dillon Dingler when he returns.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) is completing defensive drills, playing catching, hitting batting practice in the cage and is progressing through a running progression, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Perez is finally doing baseball activities again after receiving two cortisone shots to help his lumbar-spine inflammation. The 25-year-old is currently on the 60-day injured list, so he won't be able to return to the Tigers until at least late May, but if he's able to start a minor-league rehab assignment soon, he could rejoin the big-league club when he's eligible. In his rookie season in 2024, Perez slashed .242/.300/.383 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, nine steals and 51 runs in 112 games played. He is versatile (can play middle infield) and has speed to spare, but he may not see enough playing time when he's ready to return to justify a roster spot in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows (arm) is playing catch daily and is also completing conditioning, defensive drills and his hitting progression daily, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Meadows is recovering from right upper-arm inflammation and was only playing light catch in April. Because of the fact that he's on the 60-day injured list, the earliest the 25-year-old could return would be late May. It sounds like he has made progress since last month, but he will still need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment, so our best guess is that we won't see him make his 2025 season debut until sometime in June. Meadows struggled early in 2024 and then missed time with a hamstring injury, but he hit .296/.340/.500 with six homers and five steals in 47 regular-season games in the second half. When healthy, he could be the starting center fielder in Detroit against right-handed pitching.