Tigers cut lefty Shreve to add righty Vest from IL
Left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve has been designated for assignment.
The Detroit Tigers activated right-handed reliever Will Vest — under team control through the 2027 season — from the 15day injured list before Friday’s series opener against the Red Soxin Boston. Shreve was designated for assignment to create room for Vest on the 26-man roster, leaving the 40-man roster at 39 players. The 33-year-old posted a 4.79 ERA with 12 walks and 42 strikeouts over 411⁄3 innings in 47 relief appearances.
The 6-foot-4 southpaw cleared waivers — meaning none of the 29 other teams wanted him — and will likely become a free agent. That Shreve cleared waivers reveals his market and explains why the Tigers, despite seeking trade partners, couldn’t move him at the trade deadline.
The Tigers signed Shreve, a 10-year MLB veteran, to a minor-league contract in January 2023 because of his track record as an effective one-inning reliever against both righties and lefties, as well as his revered splitter.
He made the Opening Day roster out of spring training and locked in a $1.25 million guaranteed salary for this season. Shreve is owed roughly $360,000 with 47 games remaining in the regular season.
The Tigers expect to reinstate right-handed reliever Jason Foley, who owns a 2.16 ERA in 50 innings, from the bereavement list at some point over the weekend. The 27-year-old landed on the bereavement list Wednesday, so he can’t return until Saturday.
Tigers’ medical update
Right-handed reliever Mason Englert (left hip tightness) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Toledo. He has a 5.46 ERA with 17 walks and 41 strikeouts across 56 innings in 31 outings this season. The 23-year-old, a Rule 5 draft pick, hasn’t pitched for the Tigers since July 22.
Friday’s games
Rays 9, Guardians 8: Wander Franco hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth and wild-card-leading Tampa Bay escaped despite a bullpen meltdown in the top of the inning. Cleveland pulled even at 8 in the ninth, with all three runs crossing the plate on wild pitches. The Guardians loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a hit batter by closer Pete Fairbanks. The right-hander struck out Oscar Gonzalez, but had a run-scoring wild pitch before striking out Brayan Rocchio. Fairbanks allowed another run to cross the plate with another wild pitch and walked Bo Naylor before being replaced by Robert Stephenson (2-4), who threw the third wild pitch of the inning to allow the tying run to score.
Cubs 6, Blue Jays 2: Cody Bellinger and Nico Hoerner hit home runs, Javier Assad pitched a career-high seven innings and visiting Chicago improved to 7-3 in August. Bellinger and Hoerner both connected off Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos in the first inning. Hoerner went deep for the ninth time before Belinger drilled a first-pitch, two-run shot, his 18th. The Cubs are 29-14 when they hit two or more home runs.
Phillies 13, Twins 2: Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto hit back-to-back home runs and host Philadelphia scored six runs in the second inning without the ailing Bryce Harper. Harper sat out a day after the two-time NL MVP was sidelined by midback spasms. He could afford to rest against the Twins. The Phillies roughed up Twins starter Dallas Keuchel (0-1) for six runs over just 1 2/3 innings, small-balling him out of the game in the second. Stott, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, who has a hit in eight straight games since Phillies fans started cheering the slumping shortstop, all had RBI hits in the inning — and all runs were scored in the second without a long ball.
Nationals 8, Athletics 2: Ildemaro Vargas homered and drove in four runs, Keibert Ruiz went deep at home for the first time since May and host Washington won for the sixth time in nine games. Jake Alu added his first major league homer for Washington. Oakland has lost seven of 10 and is a major league-worst 33-83. The A’s are on pace to finish 46-116. There were chants of “sell the team” in the top of the fifth inning, a message directed at Oakland owner John Fisher, who plans to move the franchise to Las Vegas.
Reds 9, Pirates 2: Elly Da La Cruz hit a two-run triple in the first inning and drove in three runs, and Luke Maile belted a three-run homer as visiting Cincinnati won for just the second time in nine games. De La Cruz’s triple into the right-field corner sparked a three-run first. The rookie shortstop then scored on a double by Spencer Steer. Reds manager David Bell shuffled his slumping team’s lineup and dropped De La Cruz from leadoff to the No. 3 spot. The 21-year-old had hit just .207 in 22 games at the top of the order. Maile’s homer to center in the fourth gave rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott (7-3) plenty of cushion as he took a shutout into the sixth.
Before the game, the Reds optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel, the second overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft, to Triple-A Louisville on Friday.
Senzel had been in the major leagues continuously since 2019, except for rehab assignments. The 28-year-old was hitting .219 in 80 games.
The Reds selected the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos from Louisville. The rookie played in 18 games for Cincinnati earlier this season and had a .242 batting average.