The Tigers’ injury list just got a little longer, and one of their top young bats is now stuck in limbo.
Josue Briceño, Detroit’s No. 5 prospect, was placed on the 7-day injured list Wednesday, Sept. 2, by the Toledo Mud Hens, the club’s Triple-A affiliate. Briceño is a slugging catcher and first baseman, and the team has not said what exactly is wrong.
The latest issue surfaced Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota, when Briceño exited in the second inning after appearing to slide awkwardly into second base. He grabbed at his right ankle after the tag was applied.
There is no official timetable for his return, and the calendar is working against him. Toledo’s regular season ends Sept. 20, leaving little room for a comeback before the year runs out.
It’s a frustrating setback in what has already been a disrupted season for the 21-year-old. Briceño missed the first few months while recovering from a wrist injury suffered in spring training. In 42 games this season, mostly split between Double-A Erie and Toledo, he has hit nine home runs, driven in 29 runs and posted an .828 OPS.
The Tigers moved him to Toledo in mid-August after he put up an OPS above 1.000 at Erie.
Briceño’s absence also adds to a growing list of banged-up Tigers prospects. Four of the organization’s top 10 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are currently on the injured list.
That group includes three pitchers - River Ryan, ranked No. 4, Kash Mayfield at No. 8 and Brady Smith at No. 10 - all of whom came over in last month’s trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize.
Briceño originally signed with Detroit as a 17-year-old out of Venezuela in 2022, then started drawing national attention in 2024 when he was named Most Valuable Player of the Arizona Fall League and won the circuit’s first Triple Crown.
Last season, split between High-A West Michigan and Erie, he put together a strong power year with 20 homers, 76 RBIs and an .883 OPS.
In Other News...
Tigers Give Fans One Last Comerica Moment With Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander is getting one more Comerica Park sendoff as the Tigers close out their final home stand of the season. Detroit announced a two-day celebration for the longtime ace on Sept. 25 and 26, when fans attending the games against the Pittsburgh Pirates will be treated to Verlander-themed giveaways, including a bobblehead and cheer cards.
It fits the moment for a pitcher who defined so much of the Tigers modern identity and is now retiring after a 21-season career, most of it in Detroit. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred already has recognized Verlander as an honorary All-Star, and the home crowd will now get a final chance to salute him at the ballpark where so many of his biggest memories were made. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Win Couldnt Hide Their Biggest Offseason Problem
The Tigers came away with an extra-innings win after a strong offensive night, with rookies John Peck and Spencer Torkelson helping give the lineup some life. It was the kind of result that can steady a clubhouse for a night, especially when the younger players are part of the production and the bats are carrying more of the load than usual.
But even a win like that could not fully mask the larger issue sitting underneath Detroits recent push. The bullpen remains the glaring concern, and as the offseason approaches, the front office has a decision to make about free agents leaving and possible additions who could help stabilize late innings. For a team trying to build on progress, the relief corps looks like the spot that most clearly needs a fix. [Read more 🡒]
Casey Mize May No Longer Be The Tigers Reunion Fans Wanted
Casey Mizes path since leaving Detroit has not gone the way many Tigers fans might have imagined when they looked at him as a possible reunion candidate. Health problems have slowed him down, and the results have followed, with a 6.67 ERA in six starts after being traded to the San Diego Padres. For a pitcher who once represented a possible part of the Tigers future, the picture has changed enough that his return no longer feels like a clean fit.
Detroits rotation picture for 2027 is already pointing toward a group built around younger arms, which gives the front office a different kind of decision to make. With that in mind, the Tigers may decide not to re-sign Mize if he reaches free agency, choosing instead to keep the runway open for the pitchers they are trying to develop. It leaves his status as a reunion candidate hanging in a way that would have been hard to picture a few years ago. [Read more 🡒]