Tigers officially activate Matt Vierling, demote reliever in Friday roster shuffle

The Detroit Tigers have been without Matt Vierling up until this point in the season. If you told fans they'd be the best team in MLB despite all the injuries they suffered in spring training, they would've thought you were crazy.

But Vierling returned to the Tigers on Friday after missing two months with a shoulder injury. And though he doesn't necessarily slot into a specific position of need, the Tigers now have more flexibility with one of their most accomplished players from last season.

To make room on the active roster, reliever Sean Guenther was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. The left-hander has been particularly bad, logging a 5.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in nine games. He's mostly been used in mop-up duty, which has been useful to help preserve the bullpen.

Vierling isn't getting the start on Friday, but there will be plenty of spots to plug him in. Gleyber Torres suffered an injury on Thursday night and was considered day to day, but he's back in the lineup Friday. Maybe he'll get pulled if it's a blowout on either end so he can get rest.

Akil Baddoo and Kerry Carpenter are starting in the corner outfield spots. Andy Ibanez is at the hot corner. AJ Hinch can easily make changes if he needs to against the Guardians.

Tigers News: Matt Vierling activated, Sean Guenther optioned to Triple-A

Vierling was one of the key players that fueled the Tigers' late-season run to the playoffs in 2024. He finished with 3.0 WAR, which was mostly due to his offensive production. He hit .257 with 16 homers, 57 RBI, a .735 OPS and 107 OPS.

His versatility is his calling card, though. He played 57 games in center field, 51 at third base, 36 in right field, 13 in left field, and one at first base. The Tigers have a lot of players who can move around, but Vierling is perhaps their best weapon in that department.

Vierling's comment upon his activation is all Tigers fans need to know about his return. He's ready to go. He's amped. And he's ready to build off of last year's success. And it begins against Detroit's ALDS opponent.