Manager A.J. Hinch told the team’s beat that the Tigers will bring back catcher Jake Rogers from the injured list today (link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). This is probably going to mean that veteran Tomas Nido, who has hit well in his limited sample of 37 plate appearances but cannot be optioned to the minors without first clearing waivers, will be let go.
Rogers, 30, had three doubles and went 5-for-15 during a short stint in Triple-A rehab. About a week into the season, he suffered an oblique strain that put him on the injured list and kept him out of action for almost six weeks. He was 4-for-18 with a double and three walks in 22 plate appearances while healthy and holds a .198/.262/.351 hitting line dating back to last season.
The Tigers will undoubtedly hope that Rogers can regain his hitting form, but his glovework is strong enough that he will still play a vital role on the team even if his bat doesn’t get back to its former glory. Rogers is a premium defensive catcher who popped 21 home runs as recently as 2023. From 2022–2023 he slashed.225/.291/.457 (103 wRC+) with 27 big flies in just 492 plate appearances.
Dillon Dingler, a former second-round pick, has seen the most playing time during Rogers’ absence and has argued for a bigger role than that of the typical backup. In 135 turns at the plate, Dingler is hitting.292/.319/.462 with four home runs, eight doubles, and a triple. His strikeout rate of 27.4% is a little bit too high, but still lower than Rogers’ usual levels, and he won’t be able to maintain a.382 average on balls in play, but he is starting to look like a capable offensive player whose glovework is just as highly regarded as Rogers. How the Tigers divide up the reps behind the dish is still up in the air, but it’s possible that Dingler has already played himself into a more equal timeshare.
The 31-year-old Nido has gone 12-for-37 in his ten games since Rogers’ injury. His average is.480 on balls in play, which he is unable to maintain over a longer sample, and he is hitting.343, but all of his hits have been singles. Despite having a career batting line of.210/.245/.309 going into the season, Nido, like his two fellow Detroit backstops, is a plus defender. He has more than five years of service left and has used up all of his minor league options, so even if he had any left, he would have to agree to be sent down.
Nido will have five days to try to trade before being placed on outright waivers, which is a 48-hour process, if the Tigers decide to designate him for assignment. Even if Nido were to go unclaimed on waivers, he could turn down an outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency. The Tigers would likely want to have Nido in the organization as depth in Triple-A Toledo.
