Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Pérez may miss the remainder of his rookie season after suffering a left oblique strain during Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. While the Tigers haven’t officially ruled him out for the season, manager A.J. Hinch expressed uncertainty about Pérez’s return before the season finale on September 29.
“I’m just bummed for him,” Hinch said before Saturday’s game in San Francisco. “I don’t know how long it’s going to be or what we can salvage from the season. We’ll do our best to get him healthy and hopefully get him back in some games before the end of the year.”
Pérez, a switch-hitter, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, but it’s expected that he will miss significantly more time. To fill the gap, the Tigers recalled outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo. The team has 44 games remaining in the 2024 season.
The injury occurred during Pérez’s only swing in two plate appearances on Friday when he faced a 93 mph fastball from Giants’ left-hander Robbie Ray. Pérez immediately indicated discomfort by touching his left side and did not return to the field for defense after the fourth inning.
This season, Pérez has posted a .242 batting average with nine home runs, 27 walks, and 76 strikeouts across 97 games, resulting in a .684 OPS. However, he has struggled recently, hitting just .143 with four walks and 13 strikeouts in his last 15 games.
The Tigers are also anticipating the return of outfielder Kerry Carpenter, who could be back from the injured list as soon as this week. If Carpenter completes his rehab assignment without any setbacks, Baddoo might be optioned back to Triple-A Toledo to make room for him.