Tyler Collins rejoins Tigers for added depth

The regular season is winding down, and with only a few weeks of play remaining, the Tigers are looking to keep their core players in good health. As a result, they’ve called up outfielder Tyler Collins to man the bench.

Collins has appeared in 40 games for the Tigers this season with a .200/.288/.338 line, but fared considerably better in Triple-A Toledo where he was hitting .288/.358/.462.

He will provide relief for an already deep outfield roster which now includes Nicholas Castellanos, alongside Alex Presley, JaCoby Jones, Andrew Romine, and Mikie Mahtook. Mahtook missed two games on the weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays for groin soreness, but hasn’t yet been placed on the disabled list.

Short stop Jose Iglesias has also yet to rejoin the team, owing to hurricane-related delays he experienced while in Miami for the birth of his son. He is expected to return to the Tigers as soon as it is safe for him to travel.

It is unlikely we will see Collins take the short stop role, with Dixon Machado still healthy, and Romine able to man the infield if necessary. However going into the offseason the Tigers will want their most appealing players to be in good health if they hope to complete more trades, so Collins will add an element of insurance to the bench.

A corresponding roster move was made to clear room for Collins on the 40-man roster.