During their series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Detroit Tigers activated Javier Báez from the 60-day injured list.
To clear a spot for Báez on their 26-man roster, the Tigers designated a 6-year player for assignment.
Detroit Tigers DFA Longtime Player to Make Room for Javier Báez
Tigers PR wrote on X: “The Tigers today activated INF Javier Báez off the 60-day injured list. To make room on both the 40-man and 26-man rosters, C Jake Rogers has been designated for assignment.”
Báez had been on the injured list since late April with a right ankle sprain.
Rogers, who has been with the Tigers since making his MLB debut in 2019, is slashing just .161/.266/.301 with three home runs and nine RBI this season. Eduardo Valencia is now the team’s backup catcher.
More About Cut Tigers Catcher Jake Rogers
The Houston Astros selected Rogers in the third round (No. 97 overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Tulane.
The Astros traded Rogers, outfielder Daz Cameron and right-hander Franklin Perez to the Tigers as part of the Justin Verlander trade on Aug. 31, 2017. Nine seasons later, Rogers got the opportunity to play with Verlander, who signed a one-year deal with Detroit this past offseason and will retire after this season.
Rogers appeared in 35 games in 2019. He posted a poor .481 OPS in 128 plate appearances.
Rogers returned to the majors in 2021. That season, he posted a solid .239/.306/.496 slash line with six home runs and 17 RBI in 127 plate appearances across 38 games. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2022 season due to an injury.
Rogers had a decent .730 OPS over 107 games with Detroit in 2023. Then, he hit below .200 in each season from 2024-26, prompting the Tigers to designate him for assignment.
Rogers has hit well in the postseason. In 2024, he went 6-for-22 with a double, three walks and two RBI. He had just one plate appearance last postseason and collected a hit.
It’ll be interesting to see where Rogers lands. There are several contending teams, including the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, seeking catching help, but Rogers is likely not the caliber of player clubs are looking for as an upgrade behind the plate.
Detroit Tigers Cut 6-Year Player to Clear Spot for Javier Báez During Orioles Series