The Tigers made a bullpen move Monday, bringing in veteran right-hander Tyler Kinley and sending Ty Madden to Triple-A Toledo.
Manager A.J. Hinch said before the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays that Kinley would be active right away. To clear space, Detroit designated Triple-A reliever Ricky Vanasco for assignment and moved Madden off the big-league roster.
Kinley, 35, arrives after 42⅔ innings in 49 appearances this season with the Atlanta Braves. He posted a 4.01 ERA, went 6-5 and struck out 42 batters before Atlanta designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
"He's going to be active tonight," Hinch said. "He brings a really good slider and some experience."
Detroit’s thinking is pretty clear: Kinley gives the club another right-handed arm with a track record of getting right-handed hitters out. That matters against Tampa Bay, which enters the matchup with the best record in the American League and an offense headlined by right-handed slugger Junior Caminero.
Hinch said the Tigers have had Kinley on their radar before, pointing to that specific split as the appeal.
"We have right-handed pitchers in our 'pen," Hinch said. "We haven't necessarily handled right-handed hitters as consistently as we want to and so that was the draw.
We talked to Kinley in the past. We've looked into him when he was a free agent and had interest in him because of the exact skill set."
Madden’s move was described as a roster squeeze with September approaching and the 26-man and 40-man spots in play. Hinch said the door is not closed on the right-hander, who has to spend 15 days in Toledo before he can return to the Tigers’ active mix.
Madden logged a 3.46 ERA over 39 innings in 17 major league appearances, working mostly in long relief. He also missed all of 2025 because of a shoulder injury.
"The season is not over for him," Hinch said. "He's got to be down for 15 days and then we will see how September goes. If we use these roster spots back and forth on freshness or different opponents, he could very well find his way back here."
In Other News...
Tigers Offseason Reset Could Mean The End For Several Familiar Names
A rough 2026 season has put the Tigers in clear reset mode, and the fallout could reach several familiar names before the winter is over. Injuries and poor performance dragged the club through a disappointing year, and the trade deadline moves that sent Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize elsewhere only underscored how much change is coming to Detroit.
Now the focus shifts to who stays and who goes, with Kenley Jansen, Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter all viewed as players the Tigers may move on from because of performance, contract and health concerns. The organization also appears likely to lean on its farm system to help fill the gaps, which gives the offseason a very different feel than a simple retool and makes the next roster decisions especially revealing. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Catcher Lived A Dream Moment Fans Will Love
Eduardo Valencia got a moment he will probably never forget at Kauffman Stadium, where the young Tigers catcher found himself facing the player he has long admired. The matchup carried extra meaning because Valencia and Kansas City designated hitter Salvador Perez both come from Valencia, Venezuela, and their paths have been connected for a while through the shared hometown and Perezs willingness to help the younger catcher along.
The scene itself had the kind of human detail fans tend to love. Perez showed Valencia real respect in the middle of the game, giving him a quick tap at home plate and words of encouragement as the two crossed paths, a small gesture that said plenty about the bond between them. For Valencia, it was the kind of dream baseball moment that turns an ordinary road game into something a lot more memorable. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Bullpen Move Shows How Urgent This Problem Has Become
The Tigers are moving quickly to shore up a bullpen that has become impossible to ignore. Detroit signed former Braves reliever Tyler Kinley to a major league deal after Atlanta released him, a clear sign the front office felt it had to add another experienced arm right away.
To make room, the Tigers designated Ricky Vanasco for assignment and optioned Ty Madden, and Kinley is expected to be active for the upcoming game against the Rays. It is the kind of roster shuffle that usually says as much about the state of the bullpen as any public comment could, and Detroit is betting Kinley can help stabilize things immediately. [Read more 🡒]