Wenceel Pérez returns from 60-day IL, Matt Vierling placed on 10-day IL
DETROIT — Just when the Tigers seemed to be getting closer to full strength in their outfield, the injury bug strikes again. While they reinstated Wenceel Pérez from the 60-day injured list Tuesday for his season debut, they placed fellow outfielder Matt Vierling back on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
“There wasn’t a singular event or episode or anything,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “After the game, he came in and complained of some shoulder soreness, so we sent him for tests, saw some doctors. We’re going to need to get further testing, but we can’t mess with this coming off of the most recent shoulder issue that he’s had.”
Much like when Vierling and Parker Meadows were injured in Spring Training, Pérez is the logical replacement in the outfield. The speedy switch-hitter played extensively in center field this spring before he was sidelined with lower back inflammation, an injury that eventually required two injections and a stint on the 60-day injured list. He played six games on a Minor League rehab assignment without issue.
Pérez worked out with the team at Comerica Park on Monday, an off-day in the Minor Leagues. Rather than sending him back to Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers kept him around. With Vierling out, Detroit placed Pérez in Tuesday’s starting lineup against San Francisco, playing center field.
“He was ready to go yesterday when we brought him here,” Hinch said. “We wanted to get our eyes on him. He did pregame [work] like we expected, the glove work and all the things that our guys do every day. Once we saw him do that, he was cleared, regardless of the way that things worked out with Matty. We were going to have to decide which ballpark he was going to play in today, whether it was here or he could have continued his rehab in Toledo, but there was really no need for him to continue in Toledo.”
While the Tigers are covered in the outfield between Pérez’s return and the amazing play of Báez in center field, they’ll face another challenge replacing Vierling at third base. He didn’t get a chance to play there before the shoulder inflammation, but Detroit made a point to have him get games and plays there during his rehab assignment last week before bringing him back, even flying him to Lakeland for two games with its Single-A affiliate when rain created issues in Toledo.
With Pérez in center, Báez started at third base Tuesday. Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibáñez have also played well there, reprising their roles from the Tigers’ incredible run down the stretch and into the playoffs last season.
If Vierling is sidelined long term, Detroit could look for a third baseman on the market leading into the Trade Deadline at the end of July.
