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Detroit Tigers Rookie Wenceel Pérez Scratched From Lineup Against New York Yankees

Wenceel Pérez, who was initially penciled into the Detroit Tigers' starting lineup, will not face the New York Yankees on Sunday due to illness.
Sam Connon|
May 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez (46) dives in safely at home plate.
May 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez (46) dives in safely at home plate. | Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers have scratched rookie Wenceel Pérez from their starting lineup against the New York Yankees on Sunday due to illness, according to a report from The Detroit News' Chris McCosky.

Pérez was initially announced as the Tigers' starting right fielder and No. 7 hitter.

Instead, Matt Vierling will move from third base to right field, while Ibáñez will slide over from second to third. Colt Keith, another hotly anticipated rookie, has been inserted into the lineup and will start at second.

Pérez entered 2024 as the No. 20 prospect in the Tigers' farm system. The 24-year-old put together a solid showing in Spring Training, which helped him earn an early call-up from Triple-A on April 8.

It didn't take long for Pérez to adjust to big league pitching, as he had three home runs and eight RBI when the calendar turned to May. Through 18 MLB appearances, Pérez is batting .302 with a .949 OPS and 0.6 WAR.

The switch-hitting outfielder made history just last week when he hit homers from both sides of the plate. He became the first Tigers rookie to achieve the feat since 1996.

Here is the Tigers' lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, featuring Keith instead of Pérez:

1. Andy Ibáñez, RF
2. Matt Vierling, 3B
3. Mark Canha, DH
4. Riley Greene, LF
5. Jake Rogers, C
6. Spencer Torkelson, 1B
7. Colt Keith, 2B
8. Javier Báez, SS
9. Parker Meadows, CF
SP: Tarik Skubal, LHP

First pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET. New York has a chance to complete the sweep, having won the first two games 2-1 and 5-3, respectively.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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