Tigers move Javy Báez to 10-day IL, recall questionable Quadruple-A choice

Everyone's least favorite Tiger, Javier Báez, has been hitting .080 across the board in his last seven games, for a .183 average on the season and a career-worst .209 OBP. Báez represents a black hole in the lineup and an easy out to pitchers, who seem to know that they can throw anything, anywhere and there's a better chance than not that Báez will swing at it.

But the Tigers have been staunch in their dismissal of the idea to eat his contract and sending him away. They're a small market team that made an investment that they intend to see through, or something. Any excuses usually fall on their fans' deaf ears, fans who would very much prefer the Tigers just own up to a mistake and shove Báez out the door.

Well, we won't be seeing him for at least a week after the Tigers' latest roster move. After sitting out of the series finale against the Brewers on Sunday, the Tigers announced he was moving to the 10-day IL with lumbar spine inflammation, retroactive to Sunday. On the other end of that transaction, they're calling up shortstop Ryan Kreidler, no stranger to the majors, from Triple-A.

Javy Báez goes onto Tigers 10-day IL, Ryan Kreidler recalled

Kreidler, a former top prospect, made his debut with the Tigers in 2022 and played 73 games in the majors that year, but he only hit .178 with a pretty awful .477 OPS. He was on the Opening Day roster in 2023 after hitting pretty well in spring training, but it wasn't a long stay, as he hit .111 with a .222 OPS into mid-April before getting sent down and spending a considerable amount of time on the IL or rehabbing in lower levels of the minors.

He was, once again, present at spring training in 2024, where he hit .306 with a .916 OPS and looked like he had an argument to make the Opening Day roster once again. Instead, he was sent back to Triple-A, where he was promptly injured again. He returned to Toledo on June 4 after a rehab stint, where he's been able to raise his .000 batting average to .160 after five games. Progress...?

Kreidler has never really been able to make things work in the majors but, if we're being fair, neither has Báez. Now might've been the time to give Jace Jung a chance and move Gio Urshela to shortstop, but we're going to have to wait a little longer for Jung's debut.