Detroit Tigers: Predicting September call ups

Detroit Tigers players will get some reinforcements next month as September call ups make their way to the Majors. Here’s a look at the players the Tigers could call up from the minors.

Detroit Tigers fans haven’t seen the season many expected so far. The Tigers traded away a few veterans and are currently buried in the standings.

However, the team still looks competitive, What’s more reinforcments will be incoming when the calendar turns to the month of September.

Each September, rosters around the league expand so teams can call up additional players who are already on the 40-man roster.

This year, the Tigers could call up a number of Majors-ready players considering how often the team has dipped into the minors for depth before.

A number of familiar faces could return to Detroit, while some prospects could make their Major League debuts.

It is likely too early for the likes of Christin Stewart, Mike Gerber and Beau Burrows to debut—all three are currently with Double-A Erie—but a few of the team’s better pitching prospects could debut in September.

Here is a look at seven different players currently on the 40-man roster who the Detroit Tigers could call up come September.

Blaine Hardy

Blaine Hardy hasn’t been as steady of a reliever this season as he was early on his career when he notched a 2.87 ERA in 100.1 innings split between 2014 and 2015.

The southpaw was solid in 25.2 innings last season (3.51 ERA, 4.00 FIP), but has struggled mightily this year.

Both his ERA and FIP in the Majors are north of 6.00 at 6.05 and 6.09 respectively.

Hardy has been much better with Toledo in 2017, logging a 1.78 FIP in 37 frames for the Mud Hens.

If he can pitch effectively in the Majors again, he’d give the Tigers another southpaw in the bullpen.

With Justin Wilson now in Chicago, Daniel Stumpf is the now team’s lone left-hander who isn’t a long reliever.

Adding Hardy would certainly help.

Jairo Labourt

Speaking of adding left-handed relievers, adding Jairo Labourt to the bullpen would give the Detroit Tigers a potentially dynamic arm late in games.

Still just 23-years-old, Labourt came to the Tigers as the third pitcher in the David Price trade.

The hurler throws a blazing fastball and a promising slider.

So far, the ex-Toronto farmhand owns a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18.2 Triple-A innings. He’s walked 20 in that span, but the stuff is there for him to be successful in the Majors.

Kyle Ryan

We move back to the left-handed reliever portion of the article with Kyle Ryan, who struggled mightily early with the Detroit Tigers, but has rebounded somewhat with Toledo.

After allowing nine hits, seven walks and five runs in 5.2 innings for the Tigers, the southpaw has pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 40 innings at the minors’ highest level.

What is perhaps most encouraging is that Ryan has upped his strikeout rate significantly.

With 4.9 punch outs per nine innings in his Major League career, the 26-year-old doesn’t exactly a ton of bats.

However, he’s striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings with Toledo this season.

If that holds, it would be a career high—at any level—for Ryan.

Jim Adduci

Adduci has already made an impact with the Detroit Tigers in limited action this season.

The outfielder is sporting a 0.2 WAR, a 92 wRC+, a .312 wOBA, 14 runs scored and 10 RBI in 93 plate appearances.

With JaCoby Jones and Alex Presley predominantly manning the third outfield spot not occupied by Justin Upton and Mikie Mahtook, it will be interesting to see where Adduci’s at-bats come.

Next: Yes, really, the Tigers' defense will improve

He’ll likely serve as a pinch hitting and pinch-running option for manager Brad Ausmus, while also seeing some starts in right field.