Tigers News: Javy Báez suspension, potential uniform leak, Andy Ibáñez claimed

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez will not suit up for Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic as he serves a two-year suspension from World Baseball Softball Confederation events.

Báez, 33, tested positive for cannabis during an exam conducted March 12, 2023, at the 2023 WBC. As a result, he was handed a two-year period of ineligibility from April 26, 2024, through April 26, 2026. The 2026 WBC is scheduled for March 5–17, meaning Báez will be unable to participate.

The suspension is specific to WBSC-governed events. Major League Baseball has permitted marijuana use since 2020 under its jointly negotiated drug policy with the MLB Players Association, and Báez has not violated any MLB rules. He will not face discipline from the Tigers.

Before the suspension, Báez represented Puerto Rico in both the 2017 and 2023 tournaments, earning All-WBC honors at second base each time. Puerto Rico finished runner-up in 2017 and sixth in 2023.

Tigers News: Detroit may have new alternate uniform teased in MLB The Show trailer

A recent trailer for MLB26 The Show may have quietly revealed a new alternate uniform for the Tigers in 2026.

In a brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot from the two-minute clip, ace Tarik Skubal is shown delivering a pitch while wearing a previously unseen orange button-up jersey. The top features the Tigers’ classic navy “D” on the upper left chest, along with a sleeve patch showcasing the vintage “crawling tiger” head. The cuff includes navy, white and orange striping, matching a logo concept that surfaced years ago in a fan survey.

The uniform also includes navy lettering with white trim for Skubal’s name and No. 29 on the back, paired with a navy cap featuring an orange “D” and orange visor. White pants with orange, white and blue striping down each side complete the look — a detail that suggests this could be more than just a spring training experiment.

If introduced as a regular-season alternate, the Tigers would join the rest of MLB in carrying a true alternate uniform, leaving the New York Yankees as the lone franchise without one. Detroit hasn’t worn a regular alternate since a one-game navy jersey appearance in 1995.

Notably, this design would mark the first regular in-person look at orange on a Tigers home uniform in nearly 70 seasons, as the club has worn strictly navy and white at home since 1905 and dropped orange from its home caps in 1957.

Tigers News: A's claim Andy Ibáñez off waivers following Dodgers DFA

The Athletics added infield depth Friday by claiming former Tigers utility man Andy Ibáñez off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ibáñez, 32, spent the past three seasons in Detroit, serving primarily in a versatile bench role. In 2025, he appeared in 91 games for the Tigers, seeing most of his time at third base and second base while batting .239 with four home runs and 21 RBI.

The Dodgers signed Ibáñez as a free agent in January but designated him for assignment late last week, opening the door for the A’s to make a waiver claim.

Across five MLB seasons with the Texas Rangers and Tigers, Ibáñez owns a .254 career batting average with 28 home runs, offering defensive flexibility and right-handed depth to Oakland’s infield mix.