Baez is not in Saturday's lineup against the Rangers.
Baez will sit for the second time in the last three games, though that isn't performance related. He's hit .351 with 14 RBI and 11 runs scored across his last 10 games, but Jace Jung will nevertheless enter the lineup and man third base.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Idle for nightcap
Rotowire
Baez isn't in the lineup for the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Rockies.
After going 2-for-5 with an RBI and scoring a run during a 10-2 win in Game 1, Baez will get a chance to rest his legs during the final game of the day. Brewer Hicklen will start in center field instead, making his season debut while batting ninth.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Drives in four runs Wednesday
Rotowire
Baez went 2-for-5 with a run and four RBI in an 8-6, extra-inning win over the Rockies on Wednesday.
Both of Baez's hits were singles, but they were plenty productive, as each plated a pair of runs. The veteran infielder/outfielder is in the midst of a red-hot stretch at the plate -- he's hit safely in eight straight games, notching multiple hits in five of those contests. During the hitting streak, Baez is batting a scorching .424 (12-for-33) with three homers, 14 RBI, 10 runs and a stolen base.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Scores four times in blowout win
Rotowire
Baez went 2-for-4 with a double and four runs scored in Sunday's 13-1 win over the Angels.
After getting Saturday off for rest, Baez returned to action and extended his hitting streak to seven games while setting a new season best in runs scored. For the season, the veteran is now batting .309 with an .829 OPS through 28 contests. The move to center field has possibly rejuvenated Baez, as he's off to his best start since coming over to Detroit before the 2022 campaign.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Baez is not in the Tigers' starting lineup against the Angels on Saturday.
Baez will begin Saturday's game in the dugout while Zach McKinstry, Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter man the outfield. Baez is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, and over that span he has gone 7-for-20 (.350) with one stolen base, five runs scored, three home runs and nine RBI.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Crushes home run in win
Rotowire
Baez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-1 win over the Angels.
After hitting zero home runs in his first 24 games this season, Baez has now gone deep in three straight. The 32-year-old, who has settled in as Detroit's primary center fielder recently, has had a nice bounce-back season with a .300 batting average and .804 OPS across 27 contests. Baez batted just .184 with a .515 OPS during the regular season in 2024.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Launches grand slam
Rotowire
Baez went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 7-4 win against the Astros.
The 32-year-old capped the scoring for Detroit with a third-inning grand slam to extend the lead to 7-1, and those insurance runs proved pivotal since Houston rallied for three runs between the fifth and seventh frames. Baez has seen most of his action lately in center field and now has seven starts at the position since making his first start there April 21, and he's taken advantage of the consistent playing time with four doubles, a homer, seven RBI and a .360 average during that span.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Stays hot in win
Rotowire
Baez went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-0 win over the Orioles.
Baez opened the scoring with a two-run, two-out double off Dean Kremer in the second inning. He'd add another hit in the seventh before swiping his first base this season. Baez has been swinging the bat well recently, going 11-for-32 (.344) over his last 10 contests. After batting just .184 with a .515 OPS last year over 80 regular-season games, Baez is now slashing .301/.346/.370 with seven RBI and seven runs scored through his first 78 plate appearances this season.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Records three hits in win
Rotowire
Baez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Orioles.
Baez started the nightcap on the bench before entering as a defensive replacement, but he managed to make his mark in the first game. The 32-year-old started that contest in center field, which is where he's been playing exclusively recently. The eventual returns of Matt Vierling (shoulder), Wenceel Perez (back) and Parker Meadows (arm) will give Detroit other options in center, but Baez's versatility has given his fantasy profile a boost in the early going. He figures to serve as a super utility player once Detroit is healthier.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Gaining traction in center field
Rotowire
Baez will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Padres.
Baez will pick up his sixth straight start and his third in a row in center field, a position he hadn't played professionally prior to this season. The 32-year-old looks on track to serve as the Tigers' preferred option in center until the team gets one of Matt Vierling (shoulder), Wenceel Perez (back) or Parker Meadows (arm) back from the injured list. Baez is hitting .274 on the season, but he has yet to record a home run or stolen base and has logged just four RBI and five runs over 66 plate appearances.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Making first-ever start in CF
Rotowire
Baez will start in center field and bat seventh in Monday's game versus the Padres.
Baez has seen action in center field in three games this season with the Tigers, but this will be his first-ever start at any outfield position at the major-league level. He's expected to play the position frequently while Parker Meadows (shoulder) continues to recover, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Hits bench after six straight starts
Rotowire
Baez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.
Baez had started in each of the last six games -- three at shortstop, three at third base -- while going 7-for-21 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI and a run. Though Baez should start consistently against left-handed pitching and see semi-regular playing time against right-handers, Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney still appear to be ahead of him on the depth chart at third base and shortstop, respectively.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Tallies three hits in win
Rotowire
Baez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 4-3 win over the White Sox.
Baez is now 6-for-18 this season, and all six hits have come in a pair of three-hit performances. The veteran could use a little more consistency moving forward, though after seeing his average tumble to .184 during the 2024 regular season, the early 2025 results are at least a step in the right direction.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Collects trio of hits
Rotowire
Baez went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Monday's 9-6 win versus the Mariners.
Baez drew his first start at the hot corner since 2019 with the Cubs and made the most of his opportunity, producing his first three-hit game since May 18, 2024. The veteran infielder had a rough Grapefruit League, slashing .184/.279/.368 with a 4:9 BB:K across 43 plate appearances, so he will have to continue hitting like this performance to stay in the lineup.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Starting at hot corner
Rotowire
Baez is starting at third base and batting ninth in Monday's game against the Mariners.
Baez started Thursday's season opener at shortstop and he's also seen time at third off the bench in the early going, though this will be his first start at the hot corner. The veteran looks like more of a utility player for the Tigers this season versus a regular option at short, and he could even see time in the outfield after picking up some reps there during spring training. Baez may end up seeing a decent amount of playing time in this new role, though his fantasy outlook remains murky as a bench player.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: May get longer look in center
Rotowire
With the Tigers dealing with a number of outfield injuries, Baez is an option to see more time in center field, including on Opening Day, Adrian Garro of MLB.com reports.
Detroit is currently down Matt Vierling (shoulder), Parker Meadows (arm) and Wenceel Perez (back), all of whom are natural center-field candidates. The Tigers did scoop up veteran Manuel Margot over the weekend, but president of baseball operations Scott Harris said that he views him as more of a corner outfielder, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Baez has started to see time in center recently, and he may end up as the default option there, at least in the short term, though utility man Ryan Kreidler is also back in the mix after rejoining the MLB roster. While Baez has struggled in recent seasons, the potential addition of outfield eligibility could give him a small boost in fantasy leagues.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Starting in center Saturday
Rotowire
Baez is starting in center field and batting seventh in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.
Baez has seen some time at third base this spring, where he hasn't seen regular-season action since 2019, and he'll now try out center, a position he's never played during the regular season in the majors. The Tigers appear to be preparing the veteran for more of a utility role in 2025, with Trey Sweeney in line to serve as the regular shortstop. Baez's already dwindling fantasy value will take a hit if he's not seeing consistent playing time.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Starting at third base Thursday
Rotowire
Baez will start at third base and bat sixth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game versus the Yankees, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Baez hasn't played third base since 2019, when he started there one game. With Matt Vierling (shoulder) out, it's possible Baez sees some action at the hot corner versus lefties. He also remains in the mix for playing time at shortstop.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Feels fully healthy
Rotowire
Baez (hip) said he's been running and swinging at 100 percent recently, Joey Johnston of MLB.com reports.
Baez underwent a right hip labral repair last September and has been ramping up slowly during the winter months. The veteran shortstop made his Grapefruit League debut Friday, and although he went 0-for-2 with a walk as the DH, he said afterward that he felt good. Baez could bounce back some in 2025 if he's fully healthy, but he will likely see a reduced role with the younger Trey Sweeney expected to see a lot of playing time at short.
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Tigers' Javier Baez: Set for spring debut Friday
Rotowire
Manager A.J. Hinch said that Baez (hip) will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Blue Jays as the Tigers' designated hitter, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The hope is that he'll be ready to play the field next week. Baez underwent a right hip labral repair last September and has been a bit behind schedule early on in camp, but he is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. The veteran infielder is likely in store for a reduced role this season with Trey Sweeney expected to serve as the Tigers' primary shortstop.
