Baddoo is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Red Sox, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Baddoo will get a day off after he went 1-for-8 with a solo home run and four strikeouts over the first two games of the series. Matt Vierling will enter the lineup in right field and bat leadoff against Boston.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Hits first homer of campaign
Rotowire
Baddoo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-0 win against Boston on Thursday.
Baddoo was called up from Triple-A on Wednesday to fill the roster spot of Kerry Carpenter (back), who was placed on the injured list. Baddoo got into both games of a doubleheader and hit a sacrifice fly in his first game back in the majors, which he topped with a fifth-inning long ball Thursday. Baddoo isn't going to be an everyday lineup replacement for Carpenter, but he should get occasional starts against right-handed hurlers.
The Tigers recalled Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Baddoo is up as a roster replacement for Kerry Carpenter (back), who was placed on the 10-day injured list. The 25-year-old outfielder has spent virtually all of 2024 with Toledo, slashing .253/.360/.473 with six home runs and 16 stolen bases. Baddoo could see a little action in the outfield versus righties while he's up with the Tigers.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Headed back down
Rotowire
Baddoo was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday.
Baddoo was recalled on Saturday and made his first MLB appearance of the season, notching a triple and scoring a run during his only at-bat. However, he'll get sent back down to Triple-A to make room for Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the big-league roster.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Brought up to big club
Rotowire
The Tigers recalled Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.
Baddoo wasn't able to make the Tigers' Opening Day roster after going 3-for-25 with 13 strikeouts during spring training. The 25-year-old is slashing .257/.366/.478 with 11 stolen bases, four triples, four home runs and 16 RBI over 134 plate appearances in Triple-A. He appeared in 112 games with Detroit last season, posting a .218/.310/.372 line with 11 home runs, 34 RBI and 14 steals over 357 plate appearances.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Tigers optioned Baddoo to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.
Baddoo went just 3-for-25 with 13 strikeouts at the plate this spring. The 25-year-old has really struggled at the big-league level over the last two seasons following a promising rookie campaign.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Struggling this spring
Rotowire
Baddoo, who went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, is now batting .167 this spring.
Baddoo has just three singles in nine games this spring. The struggles are less than ideal for the 25-year-old, as he's fighting for a bench role in camp. Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Mark Canha seem to be locked into starting outfield spots, and given Baddoo's poor play so far, he may find himself at Triple-A Toledo to begin the season.
Baddoo is a candidate to begin the 2024 season at Triple-A Toledo with Detroit's outfield now deeper than in previous years, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Baddoo made 357 plate appearances for the Tigers in 2023, though he may be unable to match that in 2024. Parker Meadows has emerged as the presumptive center fielder of the future, and Riley Greene should slide over to right field in his return from September Tommy John surgery. The team also added veteran Mark Canha during the offseason, and he figures to play left field. Baddoo could give the Tigers a left-handed bat and some speed off the bench, though the versatile Matt Vierling could also serve as a fourth outfielder. Either way, Baddoo's fantasy stock has dropped as the Detroit outfield has gotten deeper.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Agrees to terms
Rotowire
Baddoo and the Tigers agreed to a one-year, $1.55 million deal Thursday to avoid arbitration, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
The righty-hitting outfielder may struggle to top the 357 plate appearances he received in 2023, as the Tigers' outfield will be better than it has been in recent seasons, with the addition of Mark Canha and emergence of Parker Meadows. Baddoo should still get starts against lefties. He is a career .233 hitter and had 11 home runs with 14 steals and a career-low 24.9 percent strikeout rate last year.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Likely to be retained for 2024
Rotowire
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris indicated Tuesday that Baddoo will be tendered a contract for the 2024 season, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Baddoo was believed to be a non-tender candidate this winter after slashing just .213/.302/.331 in 582 combined plate appearances between 2022-23, but he is only projected to make around $1.7 million in 2024 -- his first year of arbitration eligibility -- and the Tigers are hopeful that he can recapture his 2021 form. That year, as a rookie, Baddoo put up a .766 OPS with 13 homers and 18 steals across his first 124 major-league games. "He still very much fits in," said Harris. "There is a role for him. We're not an organization that wants to give up players that can affect the game in that way for nothing."
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Reaches four times, swipes bag
Rotowire
Baddoo went 1-for-1 with a triple, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's victory over Cleveland while also drawing three walks.
Baddoo walked and stole second in his first trip to the plate and later drove in two runs with a two-out triple in the bottom of the sixth to extend Detroit's lead. The left fielder would then add another two walks on the afternoon, giving him four free passes over his last two games. The stolen base was Baddoo's 13th of the season, with five of those coming in September, while the triple was the first in his 2023 campaign.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Baddoo isn't starting Thursday against the Royals.
Baddoo will step out of the lineup for the final game of the Tigers' series against Kansas City as southpaw Cole Ragans starts on the mound for the Royals. Matt Vierling will move to left field while Andre Lipcius picks up a start at third base.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Hits 11th home run
Rotowire
Baddoo hit a pinch-hit home run during his lone at-bat in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Royals.
Baddoo provided some offense off the bench, though it's a bit concerning that he was out of the starting lineup in a matchup against veteran righty Zack Greinke. The Tigers have been eliminated from playoff contention, so they may mix and match their lineups the rest of the way to get a look at some different players, which could make Baddoo's playing time unpredictable over the final handful of games.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Out of lineup again
Rotowire
Baddoo is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Royals, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
It marks the third time in four games that Baddoo has been absent from the lineup, although this is the first time it's happened against a right-hander. Baddoo is hitless over his last six contests. Matt Vierling will handle left field.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Resting versus lefty
Rotowire
Baddoo isn't in the Tigers' lineup Sunday versus Oakland.
As lefty JP Sears prepares to start on the mound, the Tigers will keep the left-handed bat of Baddoo on the bench to start Sunday's contest. Andy Ibanez will start in left field and bat second.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Sitting against lefty
Rotowire
Baddoo isn't in the Tigers' lineup Friday against the Athletics.
Left-hander Ken Waldichuk is lined up to start Friday for the A's, so Baddoo will sit on the bench to begin the game. Andy Ibanez will start in left field instead and bat second.
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Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Not starting against lefty
Rotowire
Baddoo isn't in the Tigers' lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers.
Southpaw Caleb Ferguson will start Tuesday for Los Angeles, meaning the lefty-hitting Baddoo will remain on the bench to begin the game. Matt Vierling will shift to left field in Baddoo's place while Tyler Nevin starts at the hot corner.
