Tigers fans already know who's getting the boot upon Jake Rogers' return

Chicago White Sox v Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox v Detroit Tigers | Mark Cunningham/GettyImages

UPDATE: It happened.


Jake Rogers has been MIA from the active roster for a month and a half with oblique tightness, but AJ Hinch confirmed on Tuesday morning that he would be activated and rejoining the team in St. Louis for Tarik Skubal's start against the Cardinals. He completed a four-game rehab stint in Triple-A and his .333 average/.977 OPS made it pretty clear he's ready to come back.

The Tigers have typically preferred to refer to their catchers as co-catchers rather than designating a primary and a backup, but Dillon Dingler has undoubtedly become the primary catcher in Rogers' absence and has looked good doing it. He's batting .292 with a .781 OPS and his numbers behind the plate have drastically improved from last season.

Veteran Tomás Nido, who the Tigers signed to a minor league deal this offseason and started the season in the minors as a reliable depth option, came up to fill Rogers' roster spot. Nido has started 10 games and has actually been an effective contact hitter (.343 average), but there's no question he'll be getting the bump when the Tigers make the official roster move that reinstates Rogers.

Tomas Nido expected to get sent down when Tigers activate Jake Rogers

Nido was never going to come in and supplant Rogers or Dingler, but he's been effective in exactly the role he was signed to fill. As far as stopgaps go, he could've been a lot worse at the plate, but the Tigers banked on his years of semi-decent backup catching with the Mets and were rewarded by a player who at least didn't make himself an easy out during his 37 plate appearances.

Skubal starts have been exclusively handled by Dingler in Rogers' absence, breaking up a long Skubal-Rogers battery streak, but it feels safe to assume that role with primarily go back to Rogers upon his return. Dingler has held the fort down well — he caught Skubal's perfect game bid against the Rangers — but Rogers' documented history of success with Skubal isn't going to be something that this team takes for granted.

Nido doesn't have minor league options, so the Tigers will have to designate him for assignment and wait to see if he clears waivers to return to the team. That might actually be worth holding out some hope for, given his short-term effectiveness this season.