Wenceel Perez Expected To Be Out A Month With Back Inflammation
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said that outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) is expected to be out at least a month to begin the season due to lower-back inflammation. Perez is scheduled to receive an injection in his back later this week. The Tigers have been hit hard with injuries to their outfielders at the start of the year, as Perez, Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) will all open on the injured list. It's why Detroit just signed veteran Manuel Margot, who could actually open the year as the team's primary center fielder. Another option would be for the Tigers to move Riley Greene to center field, which would open up playing time for Justyn-Henry Malloy in left field. Ryan Kreidler was also returned from minor-league camp this week to provide extra outfield depth early on. This news is obviously a big hit to Perez's fantasy value in AL-only leagues.
Wenceel Perez Receives Injection, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) received a cortisone injection in his back. However, the team expressed optimism and expect the 25-year-old to be ready for Opening Day. Perez has been dealing with lower-back tightness over the past two weeks. Fantasy managers should monitor his status but it appears the injury is not overly serious, given Detroit's optimism. While Perez remains sidelined for the time being, Riley Greene should continue to see opportunities in center field. However, once Perez is cleared for action, he will likely have a starting role in the everyday lineup as Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) are both expected to miss Opening Day. Last summer, Perez made his MLB debut and held a .242/.300/.383 line with nine home runs and nine stolen bases across 112 contests. He will have short-term value in deeper formats while he holds a spot in the starting nine.
Wenceel Perez To See Increased Time In The Outfield
Detroit Tigers second baseman/outfielder Wenceel Perez is set to see increased opportunities in the outfield with Matt Vierling (shoulder) and Parker Meadows (biceps) sidelined. Vierling is dealing with a right shoulder injury and is to undergo further evaluation. Meadows is dealing with inflammation but did not suffer any structural damage. The 25-year-old is likely to be cleared for baseball activities in the coming days. However, for the time being, Perez could have an increased role in camp. Last season, Perez logged 105 of his starts in the outfield. However, he spent most of his time at the keystone in the minor leagues. Across his first 112 games in the majors, Perez posted a .242/.300/.383 line. He hit 12 doubles, nine home runs, and swiped nine bags. Fantasy managers should expect Perez to operate as a depth option during the regular season and only have value in deeper formats.
Detroit Tigers second baseman Wenceel Perez will start on the bench for Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. In two of the three games of the ALDS to this point, Perez has gone 1-for-5 at the plate. With Perez out on Thursday, Matt Vierling will start in right field and will bat third, with Zach McKinstry playing third base and batting seventh against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee. Both Vierling and McKinstry have decent history against Bibee. Vierling has gone 3-for-11 (.273) against him with two home runs, four RBI and one strikeout, while McKinstry has gone 5-for-15 (.333) with two doubles, two RBI and a walk against Bibee. Vierling will be the more attractive DFS play near the top of the order. So far in the postseason this fall, he has just four hits in 18 at-bats with a double, two RBI and seven strikeouts.
Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Wenceel Perez is back in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday at Comerica Park against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Alex Cobb, playing right field and batting fifth. Zach McKinstry will start on the bench in this one. Perez supplied two hits and a run scored in the Game 1 loss to Cleveland on Saturday and didn't get the start in the Game 2 win on Monday. The 24-year-old Dominican switch-hitter hit .242/.300/.383 with a below-average .683 OPS, nine home runs, 37 RBI and nine stolen bases in his first 112 major-league games in 2024. Perez did not face Cobb at all this year but was much more productive against right-handers as a lefty hitter this year, batting .251 (76-for-303) with eight of his nine home runs against them. He'll be a low-upside DFS sleeper for Wednesday's full slate of playoff action.
Detroit Tigers infielder Wenceel Perez will retreat to the bench for Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The left-handed-hitting Colt Keith will man the keystone and will bat fifth for the Tigers versus Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Perez contributed two hits and scored a run in the Game 1 upset win over the Astros to put them on the brink of elimination. Matt Vierling is also starting in right field, with Zach McKinstry getting the nod at the hot corner. In his first big-league season in 2023, Keith held his own with a .260 average (134-for-516) with 13 home runs, 15 doubles, four triples, 61 RBI, seven stolen bases and 54 runs scored in 148 games played. He actually hit over .300 against lefties in 82 at-bats, but 12 of his 13 home runs on the season came against right-handers.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel P rez (oblique) might be sidelined for the rest of his rookie season after sustaining a left-oblique strain during Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Although the Tigers haven't officially ruled him out, manager A.J. Hinch was non-committal about P rez returning before the season finale on Sept. 29. P rez, a switch-hitter, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday due to the oblique strain, but he is expected to be out for much longer. In 97 games (347 at-bats) this season, he is slashing .242/.298/.386 with nine homers and 32 RBI. In his place, the Tigers have called up outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo.
Wenceel Perez To 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez will head to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. Veteran outfielder Akil Baddoo will take his place on the roster. Perez left the game Friday night due to soreness in his abdominal area. The severity of the injury is unknown, but a serious oblique strain could end Perez's season. The rookie has been a pleasant surprise, hitting .242 with nine home runs, 32 RBI, nine stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 378 plate appearances.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (abdomen) exited with left abdominal tightness in Friday night's game against the hosting San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. He drew one walk in two plate appearances, getting replaced by Bligh Madris in Detroit's outfield. Perez hasn't been all that fantasy relevant in 2024, but he's played a big role for the Tigers in 97 games, slashing .242/.298/.386 with nine home runs, 49 runs scored, and nine stolen bases over 378 plate appearances. The 24-year-old switch-hitter should be deemed day-to-day prior to Saturday's matchup against the Giants. If Perez isn't in the lineup for a day or two, Madris and Zach McKinstry would be in line for an uptick in at-bats, with Matt Vierling (back) nursing a back issue.
Detroit Tigers infielders Colt Keith and Wenceel Perez are not in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Andy Ibanez is starting at second base and will bat leadoff for Detroit, with Ryan Vilade playing right field and batting ninth against Dodgers left-hander James Paxton. Vilade was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Friday. Both Keith and Perez have been swinging hot bats for the Tigers, but they'll take the day off to kick off the weekend. Keith, a 22-year-old rookie, has been especially productive so far in July, going 13-for-37 (.351) with four home runs, two triples, nine RBI, a stolen base and 12 runs scored in 10 games. Ibanez, 31, has hit an impressive .288 (36-for-125) this year in limited playing time, but his DFS upside as a sleeper is limited because of his lack of power and speed.
Wenceel Pérez
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Tigers
