Eric Haase returns from the 10-day injured list

The Detroit Tigers had several roster moves to announce this afternoon prior to the start of their weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Foremost among them was the return of catcher Eric Haase, who had been on the 10-day injured list for a right abdominal strain. Haase caught two games this week for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens on rehab assignment.

The 28-year-old Haase currently holds a 114 wRC+ over 273 plate appearances for the Tigers this season. He holds a share of the team lead with 19 home runs, and has generally been solid defensively.

Catcher Grayson Greiner was optioned to Toledo on Wednesday after the Tigers wrapped their series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager A.J. Hinch appears set to roll with Haase as his primary catcher, and veteran backstop Dustin Garneau as the backup catcher. Greiner’s option ensures that the Hinch has his top three choices available down the stretch. The Tigers have already announced that Haase will be catching in Friday night’s contest against the Blue Jays.

In another move, the Tigers recalled RHP Jason Foley from Toledo, and designated Erasmo Ramirez for assignment. Ramirez appeared in 17 games for the Tigers amassing a 5.74 ERA and 4.30 FIP. A couple recent rough outings did not help his cause. Meanwhile, Foley has a 3.94 ERA and a 4.66 FIP with the Mud Hens this year as walks remain a problem for him. However, he’s made four straight quality appearance for the Mud Hens, and the Tigers, who also recalled RHP Alex Lange this week, clearly want to see what they’ve got in their young relievers over the final month of the 2021 season.

Finally, first baseman Renato Nuñez has been released after being outrighted to Toledo earlier this week. Nuñez homered four times in just 14 games for the Tigers, posting an 80 wRC+ mark. However, his peripherals remain a bit ugly, and manager A.J. Hinch never seemed comfortable with Nuñez at first base. Finding the point in his initial signing has been tricky as a result, but Nuñez should be a free agent and we’ll see if another team needing a power infusion decides to bite or not.