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The personal catcher for Tarik Skubal is back — just in time.
The Detroit Tigers activated catcher Jake Rogers from the 15-day injured list ahead of their May 20 game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, manager A.J. Hinch announced on MLB Network Radio — the same day Skubal is scheduled to make his 10th start of the 2025 season.
It will mark Skubal's first time pitching to Rogers since April 2.
Rogers has been sidelined since April 8 with left oblique tightness. The 30-year-old worked as the catcher in all four games with Triple-A Toledo during his rehab assignment, hitting .333 (5-for-15) with three walk and three strikeouts.
HEY, ROOK: If they could go back: What Tigers pitchers would tell themselves as rookies
The expected corresponding roster move: Catcher Tomás Nido will presumably be designated for assignment, creating space on the 26-man roster for Rogers. The 31-year-old produced 12 hits — all singles — for a .343 batting average in 10 games, with zero walks and 10 strikeouts.
Assuming Nido gets cut, that transaction creates another spot on the 40-man roster, dropping it to 38 players. The Tigers will soon need to reinstate outfielder Wenceel Pérez, center fielder Parker Meadows and right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long from the 60-day injured list, requiring them to take spots on the 40-man roster.
If Nido clears waivers, he can choose to stay with the Tigers as their No. 3 catcher or enter free agency.
In Rogers' absence, Dillon Dingler emerged as the Tigers' top catcher, thanks to his success on offense and defense. The 26-year-old is hitting .270 with four home runs, two walks and 36 strikeouts across 33 games. He has also contributed plus-3 defense runs saved in 280 innings, ranking as one of the top defensive catchers.
So far in 2025, Skubal has performed better with Dingler than with Rogers.
In two starts with Rogers, Skubal posted a 5.91 ERA, while opponents hit .279 with an .875 OPS. In seven starts with Dingler, Skubal registered a 1.87 ERA, and opponents hit just .203 with a .468 OPS.
MORE ABOUT THEM: Tarik Skubal and Jake Rogers: Friends, crossword puzzle enthusiasts, batterymates
Still, Rogers is Skubal's preferred batterymate.
Rogers caught all 31 of Skubal's starts during his 2024 American League Cy Young campaign. That year, Skubal dominated with 18 wins, a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts — all of which led AL pitchers.
Although Rogers entered 2025 as the Tigers' No. 1 catcher, it didn't take long for Dingler to state his case to take over that role. He may soon warrant more than a 50-50 split behind the plate, even if Rogers continues as Skubal's personal catcher.
Rogers has appeared in six games in 2025, hitting .222 with four walks and five strikeouts. His power production on offense declined from 2023 to 2024, as his OPS dropped from .730 OPS to .607, but he remains an above-average defender.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers activate catcher Jake Rogers from injured list
Continue reading...
The Detroit Tigers activated catcher Jake Rogers from the 15-day injured list ahead of their May 20 game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, manager A.J. Hinch announced on MLB Network Radio — the same day Skubal is scheduled to make his 10th start of the 2025 season.
It will mark Skubal's first time pitching to Rogers since April 2.
Rogers has been sidelined since April 8 with left oblique tightness. The 30-year-old worked as the catcher in all four games with Triple-A Toledo during his rehab assignment, hitting .333 (5-for-15) with three walk and three strikeouts.
HEY, ROOK: If they could go back: What Tigers pitchers would tell themselves as rookies
The expected corresponding roster move: Catcher Tomás Nido will presumably be designated for assignment, creating space on the 26-man roster for Rogers. The 31-year-old produced 12 hits — all singles — for a .343 batting average in 10 games, with zero walks and 10 strikeouts.
Assuming Nido gets cut, that transaction creates another spot on the 40-man roster, dropping it to 38 players. The Tigers will soon need to reinstate outfielder Wenceel Pérez, center fielder Parker Meadows and right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long from the 60-day injured list, requiring them to take spots on the 40-man roster.
If Nido clears waivers, he can choose to stay with the Tigers as their No. 3 catcher or enter free agency.
In Rogers' absence, Dillon Dingler emerged as the Tigers' top catcher, thanks to his success on offense and defense. The 26-year-old is hitting .270 with four home runs, two walks and 36 strikeouts across 33 games. He has also contributed plus-3 defense runs saved in 280 innings, ranking as one of the top defensive catchers.
So far in 2025, Skubal has performed better with Dingler than with Rogers.
In two starts with Rogers, Skubal posted a 5.91 ERA, while opponents hit .279 with an .875 OPS. In seven starts with Dingler, Skubal registered a 1.87 ERA, and opponents hit just .203 with a .468 OPS.
MORE ABOUT THEM: Tarik Skubal and Jake Rogers: Friends, crossword puzzle enthusiasts, batterymates
Still, Rogers is Skubal's preferred batterymate.
Rogers caught all 31 of Skubal's starts during his 2024 American League Cy Young campaign. That year, Skubal dominated with 18 wins, a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts — all of which led AL pitchers.
Although Rogers entered 2025 as the Tigers' No. 1 catcher, it didn't take long for Dingler to state his case to take over that role. He may soon warrant more than a 50-50 split behind the plate, even if Rogers continues as Skubal's personal catcher.
Rogers has appeared in six games in 2025, hitting .222 with four walks and five strikeouts. His power production on offense declined from 2023 to 2024, as his OPS dropped from .730 OPS to .607, but he remains an above-average defender.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers activate catcher Jake Rogers from injured list
Continue reading...
