CLEVELAND -- The Tigers, on the verge of a rotation shakeup with Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize returning from the injured list over the next couple days, shook up other parts of their roster on Friday, adding outfielder James Outman and reliever Jacob Waguespack while reinstating closer Kenley Jansen from the 15-day injured list.
Outman, claimed off waivers from the Twins on Thursday, jumped into the mix in center field, starting there on Friday in a 3-2 loss to the Guardians. His defense helps fill the void left by injuries to Parker Meadows and Javier Báez.
Waguespack, a 6-foot-6 right-hander who came up with the Blue Jays and last pitched in the Majors with the Rays two years ago, was acquired from the Brewers for a player to be named later or cash after exercising an upward mobility clause in his Minor League contract.
Both made their impact quickly. Outman made a diving catch on his first play in the field, recovering from a late read to take a single away from Steven Kwan in the second inning. Outman then led off the third inning in his first at-bat as a Tiger and sent a Statcast-projected 418-foot home run to right-center for the first hit of the night off Tanner Bibee.
“A lot of smiles in the dugout, because he said he loves it here,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Why wouldn’t you, with that debut?”
Outman, who hit 23 homers in a 3.4 bWAR season for the Dodgers in 2023, was designated for assignment by the Twins last week after batting 10-for-64 (.156) with three RBIs in 49 games. The vast majority of those appearances came as a defensive replacement.
His glove was a major appeal for the Tigers, who have been mixing Matt Vierling, Wenceel Pérez and Zach McKinstry in center. Outman started in center Friday night in Cleveland, batting ninth in the lineup.
“Outman will help us in center,” said Hinch pregame, “and I think re-align some of the outfield play. … We can get [McKinstry] back in the infield quite a bit, although he’ll still continue to play some outfield. It’ll change some things out there day to day. I don’t think you’ll see any of them out there every single day, but I think you’ll see a combination.”
Whether the Tigers can unlock some of the offense that Outman showed in 2023 but has struggled to replicate could determine how much Outman plays. Even during that peak season, Outman battled strikeouts. His 35% career strikeout rate is well above the 22.4% Major League average, and goes against the Tigers’ organizational mantra of dominating the strike zone.
“The power is real,” Hinch added before the game. “I know there’s been a lot of miss in there. What I told him is try to focus on what he’s trying to do and not try to avoid something. I’ve had players in the past who swung and missed quite a bit, and as you try to not swing and miss, you end up swinging and missing more.”
Said Outman: “I think timing is the biggest thing, just trying to find ways to get on time, whether that’s making moves smaller or what. I think when the timing’s there, I’m a really good player.”
Waguespack leverages his big frame for near-elite arm extension, allowing his 92-93 mph fastball to play up. He had a 43% whiff rate on his heater at Triple-A Nashville, a 50% whiff rate on his changeup and a 39.6% whiff rate on his cutter, according to Statcast. The combination allowed him to rack up 33 strikeouts over 21 2/3 innings in Nashville, providing appeal for a Tigers bullpen that has struggled for strikeouts since last season.
“We like the fastball. We like some of the secondary pitches, his extension,” Hinch said. “Just his overall look is different than what we have and can miss some bats. We tried to get him in the last couple offseasons and weren’t able to land him. We were able to get him and bring him up here and give him a look.”
That quickly took display once Jack Flaherty left after three innings Friday with a lower left leg injury. Waguespack warmed up quickly and delivered a scoreless fourth inning, striking out Brayan Rocchio on a changeup to strand two runners following a two-out single and a walk.
“Jacob did a really good job coming in and getting through his inning when he wasn’t expecting to pitch that early in the game,” Hinch said. “We ambushed him.”
“This is awesome,” Waguespack said before the game. “This is what you work for. I had some time in Toronto and then went to Japan, so I was removed for a while, came to Tampa and made the team there and then I got hurt. I didn’t really get the full experience there, so I’m thrilled, man.”
Jansen returns after missing two weeks on the injured list with pelvic inflammation. He threw a rehab outing at Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
To make room on the roster, the Tigers optioned righty relievers Beau Brieske and Brenan Hanifee to Toledo. Infielder Zack Short, who had been splitting time at shortstop with Kevin McGonigle, was designated for assignment. With McKinstry now expected to platoon with McGonigle, Short’s role was greatly diminished.