Tigers place Jeimer Candelario on 10-day injured list with thumb sprain

The Detroit Tigers have placed third baseman Jeimer Candelario on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain, the team announced on Tuesday morning. To replace Candelario on the 25-man roster, the club recalled infielder Dawel Lugo from Triple-A Toledo.

Candelario has dealt with wrist and thumb issues for the past couple years. He missed several games last year with wrist soreness, and was placed on the injured list for a couple of weeks in May 2018 with left wrist tendonitis. He also missed 11 days of action earlier this year with a left shoulder injury.

The impact of those injuries on Candelario’s performance has yet to be determined. He is hitting a paltry .198/.289/.326 with just seven home runs in 73 games this season. His strikeout and walk rates have held steady when compared to last year, but his overall performance — and his power, in particular — have taken a huge dip since he produced an .894 OPS through the first two months of 2018. Over the past 365 days, Candelario is hitting just .208/.301/.343.

Lugo’s production at the major league level hasn’t been any better, but he has taken a big step forward at Triple-A this year. In 68 games with the Mud Hens, he is hitting .333/.370/.489 with 30 extra-base hits in 303 plate appearances. Through 28 games at the big league level this year, Lugo has a .550 OPS with one home run.

The Tigers have also recalled lefthander Matt Hall to serve as the 26th man of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.