The Tigers have released infielder Jermaine Palacios and reliever Jace Fry, according to an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate in Toledo. Neither player had been on the 40-man roster, so they won’t be exposed to waivers. They each hit the open market and can seek out new opportunities.
Palacios joined the Detroit organization on an offseason waiver claim from the division-rival Twins. The Tigers non-tendered him almost immediately but brought him back on a minor league contract. The righty-swinging infielder has played the year in Toledo but gotten out to a woeful start offensively. Over 152 trips to the plate, he was hitting .176/.232/.352 while striking out 31.2% of the time.
The 26-year-old had a far better showing with Minnesota’s Triple-A club last year. Palacios had hit .283/.341/.462 with 14 homers over 102 contests. That earned him his MLB debut — first as a COVID substitute, then as an official contract selection in early September. He hit .143/.184/.229 during his first 30 MLB contests. Detroit acquired minor league infielder Joe Rizzo from the Marlins this morning, ostensibly pushing Palacios out of the mix.
Fry, a left-hander, inked a minor league deal in February. He’d been trying to work back to the majors for the first time since 2021. Fry made seven appearances but landed on the minor league injured list with elbow inflammation at the end of April. He hasn’t pitched in six weeks. The 29-year-old has appeared in parts of five big league campaigns, all with the White Sox. He owns a career 5.04 ERA with a 27.3% strikeout rate and 14% walk percentage in 139 1/3 frames.
Additionally, Toledo announced that veteran reliever Trevor Rosenthal is beginning a rehab assignment at Low-A Lakeland. The right-hander signed a minor league pact on the heels of two consecutive seasons lost to injury. He pitched twice for Toledo before landing on the IL with a sprain in his throwing elbow. It now seems he’s in position to build back towards competitive game action.