Rosters expand: Detroit Tigers add Justyn-Henry Malloy, Ricky Vanasco from Triple-A Toledo
Two players joined the Detroit Tigers for Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park as MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28 players for the entire month of September.
The two players: outfielder/designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy and right-handed reliever Ricky Vanasco. Both players previously made their MLB debuts in the 2024 season.
The Tigers promoted Malloy and Vansaco from Triple-A Toledo.
BEFORE THE MOVES: As rosters expand, Tigers' Justyn-Henry Malloy headlines call-up candidates
Malloy, 24, hit .258 with seven home runs, 43 walks and 66 strikeouts in 55 games with Triple-A Toledo. He also hit .217 with eight home runs, 21 walks and 74 strikeouts in 57 games with the Tigers, after making his MLB debut in early June.
The Tigers optioned Malloy to the Mud Hens on Aug. 19, but after just 10 games, he has returned to the big leagues. In those 10 games, Malloy hit .278 with one homer, four walks and 14 strikeouts, while spending seven games in left field.
Malloy needs to improve his outfield defense to stick with the Tigers, along with cutting down on his swing-and-miss rate. In his first stint, he was forced to be the primary designated hitter because of below-average defense.
TRADING FOR HIM: Tigers acquire Ricky Vanasco in trade with Dodgers for cash considerations
Vanasco, 25, posted a 2.72 ERA with 28 walks and 42 strikeouts across 36⅓ innings in 33 relief appearances between Triple-A Oklahoma City (24 games) and Triple-A Toledo (nine games). In late July, the Tigers acquired Vanasco — who had been designated for assignment — from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
He needs to generate swing-and-miss with his curveball and slider to stick with the Tigers.
Before the trade, Vanasco made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in mid-April. He has appeared in just two games in the big leagues, including July 13 against the Tigers at Comerica Park. Vanasco surrendered three runs on three hits — without recording an out — in the ninth inning of the mid-July matchup with the Tigers.
The Tigers (68-68) entered Saturday trailing the Cleveland Guardians by 9½ games in the American League Central and the Minnesota Twins by six games for the final AL wild-card spot. They will complete a three-game series Sunday with the Red Sox before a seven-game road trip against the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers add Justyn-Henry Malloy, Ricky Vanasco from Toledo
