The Tigers have already cycled through one arm they got back in the Carson Kelly deal, and now another former pitching depth piece is out the door.
Tyler Owens, who came to Detroit from the Rangers in 2024 along with catcher Liam Hicks, was released by the club on Aug. 18. Hicks was taken in the Rule 5 draft by the Marlins, while Owens was protected from that same process when the Tigers added him and two other pitchers to the 40-man roster.
Owens did reach the majors last season, but his Detroit stint was brief. He logged just three innings for the Tigers, with two appearances in May and another in July.
In his final outing, he allowed one run, then was designated for assignment later that month, released, and signed a minor league deal the next day. Four days after that, he landed on the 60-day injured list.
He was back in spring training this year, but the 2026 season opened with him on the IL again. After a rehab assignment, Detroit sent him to Double-A rather than Triple-A, and he put up a 4.19 ERA across 43 innings before the release.
Meanwhile, Brady Smith’s first weeks in the organization hit a snag. The right-hander, included in the Tigers’ trade return for Tarik Skubal, left his latest start for High-A West Michigan after only 1 1/3 innings earlier this week with visible arm discomfort. On Thursday, the Whitecaps placed him on the 7-day injured list.
That’s a frustrating turn for Smith, who had started well with the organization, throwing five two-run innings in his Whitecaps debut. He also had Tommy John surgery in 2023, shortly after the Dodgers drafted him.
There was one more bit of good news for Tigers followers: the club’s TV booth keeps getting recognized. Awful Announcing’s latest annual rankings put Detroit’s broadcast team at No. 7, one spot higher than in 2025.
“No surprise to see the Tigers broadcast back up here, and many graders can't say enough about how much the arrival of Benetti has transformed the vibes,” they wrote. “Overall, it's clear the Tigers' booth is widely considered an elite TV broadcast.”
In Other News...
Tigers' Bullpen Decision Looks Worse With Every Giants Save
The Tigers decision to move on from Dylan Smith looked like a routine bullpen shuffle at the time, but it has taken on a different feel since he landed with the Giants. Detroit designated Smith for assignment and shipped him to San Francisco for cash, a transaction that barely registered when it happened. Now, after carving out a meaningful role in the Giants bullpen, he looks like the kind of arm teams hate to lose once he settles in elsewhere.
Smith has already piled up multiple saves for San Francisco, and his recent work has only sharpened the contrast. He turned in a two-inning scoreless outing with five strikeouts, the sort of performance that reinforces how useful he has become in leverage spots. For the Tigers, the lingering question is less about what they got back and more about why a pitcher who was already showing solid form was allowed to get away in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Rainer Is Forcing A Tigers Question Fans Cant Ignore
Bryce Rainers first full season in the Tigers system has become one of the organizations more interesting development stories. The 2024 first-round pick was slow out of the gate at High-A West Michigan, but he has settled in and produced enough offense to look every bit like a top-of-the-system bat, the kind of player who starts moving up prospect boards as the season goes along.
His progress comes at a time when Detroits prospect picture is already shifting, with recent trades bringing in new names and Brett Callahan reaching the majors. Beau Ankeney has added to the depth charge in West Michigan, too, after his own strong move up to High-A, but Rainer is the one turning heads and forcing a familiar question about what comes next, especially with his bat continuing to play so well at this level. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Face Growing Ninth Inning Pressure In Wild Card Chase
The ninth inning has become one of the more uncomfortable parts of the Tigers Wild Card push, and AJ Hinch has not wavered from keeping Kenley Jansen in the closer role. Even after recent late-inning trouble, including a blown save against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tigers have continued to lean on the veteran while trying to hold position in a crowded race.
The problem is that Detroit did not leave itself many obvious fallback plans. After trading away key pitchers at the deadline and failing to bring in bullpen help, Hinch has been working with a thin set of choices, which is why the late-game discussion has only grown louder. Kyle Finnegan, acquired last year, looks like the other arm who might have merited a longer look in that spot, but the Tigers have stuck with the status quo for now. [Read more 🡒]