Riley Greene's injury worsens as Tigers address IL stint with multiple roster moves

Tigers fans knew nothing good was going to come of Riley Greene's early pull from the Tigers' Tuesday night opener against the Guardians.

He's actually managed to stay off the IL since August 2024, but the way AJ Hinch has sometimes made it sound, Greene can be just a strong breeze away from an injury.

Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee hit him with a pitch during his first at-bat, but he stayed in the game and took his base. Two batters later, he came around to score on a Spencer Torkelson double and was pulled with hamstring discomfort that probably had less to do with the hit by pitch and more to do with the running.

Hinch said after the game that Greene wouldn't be in Wednesday's lineup regardless of the injury's severity, but he would undergo further evaluation to determine if he needed an IL stint.

Just a couple hours ahead of first pitch on Wednesday, the Tigers made the move, putting Greene on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain and calling up minor league signing Corey Julks. They DFA'ed righty pitcher Troy Watson to make room on the 40-man.

Tigers place Riley Greene on 10-day IL with a hamstring strain, promote Corey Julks

Julks last saw major league action with the division rival White Sox in 2025, appearing in just six games and hitting .250 with a .647 OPS. He elected free agency at the end of the season and signed a minor league deal with the Tigers with an invitation to spring training. He impressed in camp, but there was no room for him on the Opening Day roster, so he's remained stashed on Toledo's roster as a convenient depth option ever since.

He's hitting .276 with an .800 OPS, 15 homers, and 54 RBI in Triple-A. They're by no means earth-shattering numbers, but they're at least an indicator that there's still some life in Julks' bat and he may be able to contribute at the bare minimum during a short major league stint.

Hopefully, Greene's injury proves to be minor enough that he only needs to spend the minimum amount of time on the IL and may even be able to avoid a rehab assignment. The Tigers really can't afford to have the team falling apart the same way it did in May when they're so close to getting back to the top of the division.

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