Tigers Activate Matt Vierling From IL, Option Struggling Youngster

The Detroit Tigers made a notable roster move on Saturday.

Feb 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling (8) takes batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are hoping they can start getting healthy this summer.

It's been impressive to see what they have done in the early going of the season with a roster that has been missing some of their key players, consistently sitting at the top of the American League while also owning the best record in baseball for the majority of the campaign thus far.

But prior to the trade deadline on July 31, understanding how all the pieces fit together when healthy is a must so the front office can get a better idea of potential moves or lack there of that they have to make.

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With that in mind, the return of Matt Vierling is a huge one.

According to an announcement by the Tigers, the veteran utility man has been activated off the 10-day injured list and will start in center field during Saturday's game. However, the other piece of notable news is that Trey Sweeney has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo as the corresponding move.

Starting with Vierling, the hope is this second stint on the IL helped his shoulder really heal.

He began the season on the injured list because of a right shoulder strain, and when he came back the first time on May 23, he lasted only four days before he was placed right back on the shelf because of inflammation in that same shoulder.

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If Vierling is able to stay healthy and perform like he did last year when he set career-highs in homers and RBI, that type of offense combined with his versatile defense will be a major plus.

As for Sweeney, it seemed like this move was coming.

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With a .221/.280/.314 slash line, four homers and 23 RBI, his OPS+ is 31 points below the league average of 100, giving Detroit virtually no offensive production at shortstop.

He'll have an opportunity to reset and further develop at Triple-A, hopefully getting him back on track to reaching his ceiling that came with his top prospect billing.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.