Tigers use extra roster spots on 2019 draft pick Lipcius and righty Diaz
Two players will join the Detroit Tigers ahead of Friday’s game — infielder/outfielder Andre Lipcius and right-handed reliever Miguel Diaz — as MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28 players.
Both players have spent the 2023 season in Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers drafted Lipcius in 2019 out of Tennessee with the No. 83 overall pick. His first appearance, possibly Friday against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, will be his MLB debut.
Lipcius, known for plate discipline and contact skills, is not ranked among the Tigers’ top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline — a list highlighted by Toledo teammates Colt Keith (No. 2), Justyn-Henry Malloy (No. 9), Dillon Dingler (No. 11), Sawyer Gipson-Long (No. 19) and Wenceel Pérez (No. 20).
“What do we need to see with those two guys and all of the other future big leaguers in Toledo?” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday about Keith and Malloy on WXYT-FM (97.1). “We need to get comfortable that they’re going to contribute in all facets of the game. Tiger fans have seen Parker (Meadows) already contribute on the bases, in the field and at the plate.
“We got to feel equally good about the rest of those guys. As I said last week, I think their bats are pretty close. I think both of them are pretty close to being able to help us at the plate. We got to make sure that we’re investing in the other facets of their game so that they’re ready to get here.”
Lipcius, a right-handed hitter, has been a member of the 40-man roster since November 2022. The 25-year-old hit .272 with 11 home runs, 52 walks and 74 strikeouts in 97 games with the Mud Hens this season, as well as .286 with one home run, four walks and five strikeouts in seven games for High-A West Michigan.
On defense, Lipcius joins the Tigers as a multi-positional player. He has experience at first base, second base, third base, left field and right field. His walk rate (12.5%) and strikeout rate (17.5%) stand out with the Mud Hens.
Diaz, however, is not a member of the 40man roster, meaning the Tigers need to create space for him before Friday’s game against the White Sox. The 28-year-old has a 5.05 ERA with 26 walks and 73 strikeouts over 57 innings in 49 relief appearances with the Mud Hens.
He has already pitched 75 games in the big leagues across parts of five seasons with the San Diego Padres (2017-19, 2021) and Tigers (2022). He allowed one run on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts over 32⁄3 innings in three games during a brief stint with the Tigers in 2022.
Diaz owns a 5.37 ERA in his MLB career. The Tigers begin a six-game roadtrip Friday with a three-game series against the White Sox. The roadtrip continues Tuesday with a three-game series against the New York Yankees. The Tigers (60-74) trail the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins by nine games.