Tigers place Josh Harrison on 10-day injured list, activate Jordy Mercer

The Detroit Tigers were hoping to get a couple of their injured starters back in action this week, but so far are just treading water. The Tigers placed second baseman Josh Harrison on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder contusion on Tuesday afternoon, just minutes before opening their mid-week series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The move was made retroactive to April 27, which puts Harrison eligible to return to action as early as Wednesday, May 8.

To replace Harrison on the 25-man roster, the Tigers recalled infielder Harold Castro. Castro, a 25-year-old Venezuelan, made his major league debut with the Tigers last fall after a long trek through their minor league system. He went 3-for-10 with a stolen base and two runs scored in six games for the Tigers last September, but was designated for assignment during the offseason to make room on the 40-man roster. Castro will take Matt Moore’s spot on the 40-man roster; Moore was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday.

The busy afternoon of transactions didn’t end there. Prior to the Harrison announcement, the Tigers placed righthander Tyson Ross on the paternity list. Ross was originally scheduled to start for the Tigers on Tuesday, but now has more important matters to attend to. Outfielder Victor Reyes was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to replace Ross, who must be reactivated within three days per MLB rules — though Thursday’s off day allows the team to juggle the rotation if Ross needs more time away.

The Tigers also activated shortstop Jordy Mercer off of the 10-day injured list. Mercer will replace outfielder Dustin Peterson, who was optioned to Triple-A Toledo following Sunday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox. Mercer is playing shortstop and batting eighth as the Tigers take on the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

While that was all for the roster moves, we also heard an update on outfielder Christin Stewart, who has been nursing a quad injury. Stewart is heading to Lakeland to begin a rehab assignment with the Flying Tigers.