Detroit Tigers Roster
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Detroit Tigers catcher Carson Kelly (rib cage) has been scratched from Friday's starting lineup against the visiting Kansas City Royals with left rib-cage soreness. He will be available off the bench, however. In his place, Jake Rogers will start behind the plate and will bat eighth against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. The fact that Kelly is available off the bench means that his injury probably isn't very serious, so the 29-year-old backstop could have a chance to return for Saturday's contest. The former second-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 is hitting just .205 (9-for-44) on the year with a homer and six RBI for Detroit. Rogers has been even worse, going 6-for-45 (.133) with a homer and two RBI, so DFS gamers should look elsewhere at the catcher position on Friday.
Detroit Tigers starting pitching prospect Jackson Jobe tallied six strikeouts across four no-hit innings in Thursday's victory. This outing lowered Jobe's ERA to 2.63 and his WHIP to 1.17. Jobe, the top pitching prospect in the Detroit system and number two right-handed pitching prospect in all of baseball, has looked sharp in Double-A as he has a cumulative 1.83 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 19 total innings over the past two seasons. The former third-overall pick should be promoted to Triple-A later this summer if he continues this strong play. While Jobe is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2025, he should remain a coveted piece in dynasty leagues.
Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, two walks, and a run scored on Wednesday for Single-A Lakeland. Clark extended his hit streak to seven games, also collecting at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games, and reaching base via hit or walk in all but one of his 15 games. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old. He's now batting .304-1-13-9-4 to begin the year. Per MLB.com, Clark is Detroit's top prospect after being selected third overall in the 2023 draft, but his ETA to the majors isn't until 2026, so he's off the redraft radar for now. Dynasty managers should be keeping an eye on him though, as he's the No. 12 overall ranked prospect in all of baseball, and a debut in 2025 isn't out of the question.
Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty will be looking for some positive regression to kick in on Wednesday in a road tilt with the Tampa Bay Rays. The 28-year-old has posted a 4.44 ERA through his first four starts in a Tigers uniform but his underlying numbers suggest he has been much better than that. Flaherty has also worked to a 2.90 xFIP, 2.74 SIERA, and a big-time 25.2% K-BB% with a 29.1% K%, as well. He has walked just 3.9% of the batters he has faced and has generated whiffs at a career-best 15.1% clip, a figure that ranks in the league's 95th percentile. He will take on a Rays team that is tied for 23rd with a .299 wOBA and 18th with a 23.1% K% against right-handed pitching on the season.
Detroit Tigers closer Jason Foley stayed perfect in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Rays, earning his seventh save. Foley came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 performance with a strikeout. The 28-year-old has had a spotless start to the season, converting all of his save opportunities with a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA, a 9.00 K/9 rate, and a 4.91 BB/9 rate. The walk rate is higher than fantasy managers would prefer, but everything else has been fantastic.