The Tigers have turned to Tanner Rainey for some extra bullpen help, selecting the right-hander’s contract and opening a spot on the active roster while Enmanuel De Jesus goes on the paternity list.
Detroit already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so the move didn’t require any additional shuffling.
Rainey, 33, is back in the organization after spending last summer on a minor league deal with the club. He reached the big leagues in September, made two late-season appearances, then was non-tendered after the year before returning on another minor league contract.
This season, he has spent the entire year with Triple-A Toledo and has put together a solid run. Over 42 2/3 innings in 39 appearances, Rainey has posted a 2.32 ERA.
The strikeouts have jumped off the page at a 33.5% clip, though the walks remain a major issue at 14.5%. His 41.1% ground-ball rate sits about average.
That profile lines up with the version of Rainey the Tigers have seen before. In 199 career innings, mostly with the Nationals, he owns a 5.52 ERA. He has struck out 27.6% of the hitters he has faced, but he has also walked 15%.
For now, he gives Detroit another arm in the bullpen while De Jesus is away. Because Rainey has at least five years of big league service time, the Tigers cannot option him to the minors without his consent. If he gets bumped when De Jesus returns, Detroit would have to remove him from the 40-man roster as well, although the club does have optionable relievers available and could decide to keep him around.
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