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BRADENTON, FL – The Detroit Tigers reassigned five players to minor-league camp Wednesday, March 18, in the seventh round of 2026 spring training roster cuts, leaving 40 players in MLB camp (not including three players on the 60-day injured list).
There are eight days until Opening Day on March 26.
The five players reassigned to minor-league camp: right-handed relievers Scott Effross, Jack Little and Tanner Rainey, left-handed reliever Konnor Pilkington and outfielder Corey Julks. All five players project to join Triple-A Toledo as minor-league signees.
INJURY REPORT: Tigers' Beau Brieske to miss 2026 Opening Day after slip in practice
Effross has been recovering from a left oblique strain.
He recently initiated his throwing program.
The 32-year-old – the only sidearm reliever in camp – appeared in just three spring games for the Tigers before the injury.
Effross has a previous relationship with a newcomer in the Tigers' front office from their time together with the Chicago Cubs: vice president of baseball strategy Alex Smith, who facilitated the minor-league contract between Effross and the Tigers.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
The other three relievers – Little, Pilkington and Rainey – are healthy.
Rainey, 33, has the most experience in the big leagues among the four pitchers cut from camp, posting a 5.52 ERA across 199 innings in 211 games during his eight-year MLB career. He won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals.
Pilkington impressed in spring training.
The 28-year-old posted a 3.68 ERA with zero walks and eight strikeouts across 7⅓ innings in seven games. His fastball averaged 92.4 mph, while his slider and changeup generated plenty of whiffs but were responsible for the three homers against him.
COMING SOON? What Enmanuel De Jesus to Tigers' 40-man roster means for Opening Day
The subtraction of Pilkington eliminates another left-handed reliever from the Opening Day roster competition.
If the Tigers choose to carry three lefty relievers, then either Enmanuel De Jesus or Sean Guenther will join the bullpen, which already features lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter.
As for the lone position player cut, Julks solidified himself as key outfield depth in case of an injury or poor performance. He hit .333 with three home runs, there walks and three strikeouts across 16 games this spring.
The 30-year-old has played in 165 games throughout his three-year MLB career. He specializes in matchups against left-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter.
From 2022-25, Julks hit .281 with an .871 OPS in 324 plate appearances against Triple-A left-handers, including a .314 batting average with an .897 OPS in 2025.
If there's an injury to Matt Vierling or Jahmai Jones – or if one of them struggles in the first couple of months – expect Julks to be in the mix for a promotion to the big leagues.
This story will be updated.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers spring training roster cuts: Konnor Pilkington, others
Continue reading...
There are eight days until Opening Day on March 26.
The five players reassigned to minor-league camp: right-handed relievers Scott Effross, Jack Little and Tanner Rainey, left-handed reliever Konnor Pilkington and outfielder Corey Julks. All five players project to join Triple-A Toledo as minor-league signees.
INJURY REPORT: Tigers' Beau Brieske to miss 2026 Opening Day after slip in practice
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Effross has been recovering from a left oblique strain.
He recently initiated his throwing program.
The 32-year-old – the only sidearm reliever in camp – appeared in just three spring games for the Tigers before the injury.
Effross has a previous relationship with a newcomer in the Tigers' front office from their time together with the Chicago Cubs: vice president of baseball strategy Alex Smith, who facilitated the minor-league contract between Effross and the Tigers.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
The other three relievers – Little, Pilkington and Rainey – are healthy.
Rainey, 33, has the most experience in the big leagues among the four pitchers cut from camp, posting a 5.52 ERA across 199 innings in 211 games during his eight-year MLB career. He won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals.
Pilkington impressed in spring training.
The 28-year-old posted a 3.68 ERA with zero walks and eight strikeouts across 7⅓ innings in seven games. His fastball averaged 92.4 mph, while his slider and changeup generated plenty of whiffs but were responsible for the three homers against him.
COMING SOON? What Enmanuel De Jesus to Tigers' 40-man roster means for Opening Day
The subtraction of Pilkington eliminates another left-handed reliever from the Opening Day roster competition.
If the Tigers choose to carry three lefty relievers, then either Enmanuel De Jesus or Sean Guenther will join the bullpen, which already features lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter.
As for the lone position player cut, Julks solidified himself as key outfield depth in case of an injury or poor performance. He hit .333 with three home runs, there walks and three strikeouts across 16 games this spring.
The 30-year-old has played in 165 games throughout his three-year MLB career. He specializes in matchups against left-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter.
From 2022-25, Julks hit .281 with an .871 OPS in 324 plate appearances against Triple-A left-handers, including a .314 batting average with an .897 OPS in 2025.
If there's an injury to Matt Vierling or Jahmai Jones – or if one of them struggles in the first couple of months – expect Julks to be in the mix for a promotion to the big leagues.
This story will be updated.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers spring training roster cuts: Konnor Pilkington, others
Continue reading...
