Tigers' second September call-up is a immediately forgettable bullpen addition

As expected, the Tigers promoted No. 20 prospect John Peck for his MLB debut ahead of their Monday game against the Twins. As also expected, they optioned veteran Corey Julks to Triple-A.

Detroit didn't wait to make their other 28-man roster move, though. They recalled pitcher Yilber Díaz from Toledo and designated Tanner Rainey for assignment. If Díaz's name sounds familiar to you, you're probably in the minority. Díaz pitched a single inning for the Tigers earlier this month after being claimed off of waivers from the Diamondbacks.

Per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Riley Greene and Beau Brieske will come back on Tuesday as the Tigers official 27th and 28th men.

Díaz is a former top prospect for Arizona, having peaked as high as No. 4 in their top-30 last season. He made his MLB debut in 2024, pitching 28 1/3 innings for a 3.81 ERA in a hybrid role.

The Diamondbacks kept him in the minors for all but three innings last season and DFA'ed him after one horrifying outing this season, when he gave up seven runs in 2/3 innings — coincidentally, against the Twins.

Tigers call up John Peck, Yilber Díaz as their expanded roster selections

To his credit, Díaz has shown signs of progress in Toledo since being claimed by the Tigers in late June. He's posted a 2.37 ERA in 19 innings and has pitched as many as two innings in an appearance. His one major league inning with Detroit was scoreless, with one hit and a walk, but three strikeouts.

His promotion might speak to growing distrust in the organization for Enmanuel De Jesus, who figured to be the easiest among Triple-A options to promote, or it could just be the Tigers trying out something new.

It certainly feels like the Tigers are in an experimental place. Calling up Peck over Max Anderson is sure to garner criticism from fans, but Detroit isn't exactly in the middle of a division race. They can afford to experiment with a few guys knowing that their odds are already low. If they succeed despite the odds, great. If they don't, they'll try again next year.

The bullpen will continue to be a problem, but we can at least hope (distantly) that he might turn whatever improvements he made in Triple-A into major league success. The Tigers have little to lose by giving him a shot now.

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