The Tigers, already facing injuries to Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, and Akil Baddoo, have now suffered another setback with Wenceel Perez sidelined due to lower-back inflammation. He is expected to be out for at least a month.
Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris confirmed the news, stating that Wenceel Perez is set to receive a back injection later this week, according to The Detroit Free Press.
“He is scheduled to receive an injection later this week and will be sidelined for at least a month,” Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris said, per Detroit Free Press writer Evan Petzold. “We will provide more details on the exact injury and prognosis as we gather more information this week.”
Meanwhile, Margot spent multiple seasons with the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Minnesota Twins last year. After being released by the Milwaukee Brewers, he is now expected to be on Detroit’s roster for their regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 27.
Detroit Tigers OF Wenceel Perez had a strong rookie season
Perez, who entered the Tigers’ system as an international free agent in 2016, was poised to take over as Detroit’s regular center fielder following Meadows’ injury. With Perez now sidelined, the Tigers signed Margot to bolster their outfield depth.
Perez received his first MLB call-up last April and remained with the Tigers for the rest of the season, never returning to Triple-A Toledo. In his rookie campaign, he recorded a .242/.300/.383 slash line with a 93 OPS+.
Earlier this month, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch called Perez’s MLB debut “impressive,” according to MLB.com.
“What I’ve learned about Wenceel is that he can handle it all,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday. “The bat quality is really good. His feel for the outfield is better than any of us expected. He’s continuing to improve and has even more room to grow. There may come a time when he returns to the infield and plays both on the dirt and the grass. But last season wouldn’t have been the same without his contributions, especially at a new position at the highest level, which he had never played before. That’s pretty impressive.”
He will start the 2025 season on Detroit’s injured list.
