​The Detroit Tigers will close out their three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park, scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. EDT on Thursday. The Tigers had captured victories in the first two games of the set and are now set to host the Athletics for the finale.
In a move announced ahead of tonight’s game, Detroit made a roster adjustment involving outfielder Jahmai Jones. The club designated Jones for assignment, a transaction recorded in the team’s MLB.com transaction log, as the Tigers opened a roster spot by recalling catcher Eduardo Valencia.
Jones has struggled since entering the majors, posting a rough veteran’s number with a -1.2 fWAR this season and a slash line of .137/.219/.221, which translates to a 25 wRC+ over 57 games. The 25-year-old outfielder has appeared in 198 major league games across his career, debuting with the Los Angeles Angels in 2020 in a 22-game stint. His MLB journey continued with 26 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 2021. After not appearing in the majors in 2022, Jones played seven games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023, followed by 33 games in 2024 with the New York Yankees. Over the past two seasons with the Tigers, he has logged 129 games.
Overall, Jones has accumulated 198 major league appearances, carrying a career line of .214/.297/.363, which equates to an 85 wRC+ and 10 home runs with 41 RBIs. His career fWAR sits at -0.9, reflecting a disappointing overall impact at the plate for a player who has moved through multiple organizations since his initial big-league debut.
This roster move comes as the Tigers aim to bolster their catching depth with Valencia’s recall, a step that could influence how Detroit constructs its lineup for the series finale against Oakland. Tigers fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how the team lines up behind the plate and in the outfield, particularly how Valencia might factor into the late-season rhythm and how the bullpen aligns to secure a win in the final game of the home stand.
For context, this article was originally published by HEAVY and has been updated to reflect the latest roster move ahead of the Thursday game. The Tigers currently hold a 2-0 lead in the series, and tonight’s matchup represents an important opportunity to keep momentum and build confidence as they progress through the schedule.