Kyle Funkhouser, Matt Hall promoted to Triple-A

The Detroit Tigers are in rebuilding mode. “Future Friday” is a segment where we examine the bevy of prospects in the organization and their future impact in the Motor City.

The promotions of Kyle Funkhouser and Matt Hall to Toledo headlined another busy week in the Detroit Tigers organization. This week also featured a Triple-A Home Run Derby winner, a pair of All-Star Games, and a full-season debut for a top prospect. Let’s get right to it.

Toledo Mud Hens

Due to their All-Star break, the Mud Hens played just four games, going 3-1. Their record stands at 50-39, which has them in first place in the International League West.

The All-Stars

Toledo boasted four International League All-Stars when the teams were announced a few weeks back. Jim Adduci, Chad Huffman, Ronny Rodriguez, and Christin Stewart all earned spots on the roster, but only Huffman played in this week’s Triple-A All-Star Game.

The Detroit Tigers promoted Adduci and Rodriguez to the big leagues last week, while Stewart remained on the disabled list. Toledo ended up having two representatives in Columbus on Wednesday, as Dawel Lugo was added as a replacement.

Starting as the designated hitter for the International League, Huffman went 0-for-4. Lugo entered the contest at second base in the sixth. He picked up a single in two at-bats.

Huffman put on quite a power display earlier in the week, winning the Home Run Derby. In his return to Columbus, where he helped the Clippers win the 2011 International League title, Huffman blasted nine homers in the opening round.  He added 10 more in the championship round to take home the trophy. Huffman also won the 2009 Triple-A Home Run Derby while representing that year’s All-Star Game host, the Portland Beavers.

Lugo, Manning Named to Futures Game

Each year, the All-Star festivities include the annual Futures Game, featuring several top prospects from around baseball. This year, the Detroit Tigers will send two representatives, Dawel Lugo and Matt Manning.

Lugo has had a strong showing in his first season in the organization. Spending the entire campaign with Toledo, the 23-year old is hitting .274 and ranks in the top-five in the IL in hits. Ranked as the no. 12 prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline, Lugo has primarily played second and third base for the Mud Hens.

A former first rounder, Manning earned a promotion to High-A Lakeland recently. The righty made his second start for the Flying Tigers earlier this week, yielding two runs on four hits while striking out five in five innings. Between West Michigan and Lakeland this year, Manning sports a 3.15 ERA, with 90 strikeouts in 65.2 innings (12.3 K/9).

Lugo, who hails from the Dominican Republic, will represent the World Team in the game, while Manning will represent the U.S. Team. The Futures Game is set for Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

Machado Joins Hens

Following a prolonged slump, Dixon Machado was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers earlier this month. Machado cleared waivers this week, and was assigned to Toledo.

Machado made his debut for the Mud Hens Thursday night, going 2-for-4 with a single, a walk, and a run scored. The Tigers hope he can level out his swing, leading to more consistent results going forward. With Jose Iglesias a candidate to get dealt before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised to see Machado back in the Motor City before too long.