Overview
- The Tigers moved reliever Will Vest to the 60-day injured list and purchased the contract of right-hander Troy Watson, then optioned Watson to Triple-A Toledo to occupy the newly opened 40-man spot.
- Team testing found a stress fracture in Vest’s elbow after an earlier IL placement for elbow inflammation, a diagnosis that points to a multi-week-to-month recovery and removal from the 40-man roster.
- Troy Watson, a 29-year-old right-hander, has a 2.88 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo, and the club acted to prevent him from signing with an overseas team.
- Manager A.J. Hinch said the procedural roster move 'doesn't really change anything,' while the front office used the 60-day IL to manage roster constraints and protect organizational depth.
- The move reduces Detroit’s immediate bullpen options and highlights a common roster tactic: shifting an injured player to the 60-day IL removes him from the 40-man roster so the club can retain promising minor-league arms.