Wenceel Pérez’s season in jeopardy as Tigers claim pitcher from Diamondbacks

The Detroit Tigers made a waiver claim Friday, but the bigger development was what it revealed about Wenceel Pérez, whose freak orbital fracture now looks like it could cost him a significant chunk — if not the rest — of his season.

The Tigers claimed right-hander Yilber Díaz off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, taking a low-risk flier on a hard-throwing pitcher who still has minor league options remaining. To clear a 40-man roster spot, Detroit transferred Pérez to the 60-day injured list, meaning the outfielder can't return until at least the middle of August.

That doesn't necessarily mean Pérez is done for the year, but it is a clear sign the Tigers aren't expecting him back anytime soon.

Freak Wenceel Pérez injury results in 60-day IL stint as Tigers claim Yilber Díaz off waivers from Arizona

Pérez landed on the 10-day injured list after a freak accident during a postgame workout routine in Houston on June 16. A plyometric band snapped and struck him below his left eye, causing an orbital fracture. He remained in Houston for a couple of extra days while awaiting clearance to fly before returning to Detroit on June 19.

Manager A.J. Hinch has said the injury isn't expected to be long term in the sense of creating permanent damage, and Pérez won't need surgery. Still, the Tigers have to wait for the bone to heal, and the swelling around his eye initially affected his vision.

Before the injury, Pérez was hitting just .180 with seven home runs, 14 walks and 29 strikeouts in 53 games. It had been an uneven season offensively, but his speed, athleticism and defensive versatility still gave the Tigers useful depth in the outfield.

Instead, Detroit used his roster spot to take a chance on Díaz, a 25-year-old right-hander who was recently viewed as one of Arizona’s top pitching prospects. His 2025 season was a disaster, and his lone MLB outing this year was even worse, as he allowed seven runs while recording only two outs. But there's still something to dream on.

Díaz is averaging nearly 97 mph with his fastball, has missed bats at a solid rate and has improved some of the contact quality against him in Triple-A. His command remains a major concern, but the Tigers can send him to Toledo and try to unlock something.

For now, though, the bigger story is Pérez — and whether he will have enough time to salvage any part of his season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow