Tigers Decide To DFA Charlie Morton After Disastrous Tenure
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In the blink of an eye, the Detroit Tigers went from owning the best record in the American League to there being a real chance they miss the playoffs altogether if they don't turn things around in a hurry.
Their once-comfortable lead in the AL Central is down to just one game over the surging Cleveland Guardians. This stretch of horrendous play by the Tigers comes at the worst time, as the offense has gone quiet and the pitching staff has struggled to prevent runs from being scored.
So as Detroit searches for answers to get things right, they have decided to make a notable move by designating Charlie Morton for assignment to clear a space for Tanner Rainey on the roster.
#Tigers roster moves:
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) September 21, 2025
- Charlie Morton designated for assignment.
- Tanner Rainey selected from Triple-A Toledo.
Morton registered a 7.09 ERA with 23 walks and 47 strikeouts across 39.1 innings in nine starts after the July 31 trade deadline.
Morton, who was one of the team's headlining trade deadline acquisitions this year, got off to a good start with the Tigers and seemed like he could be a major weapon for them. After the veteran right-hander struggled to begin the season, he turned things around with the Baltimore Orioles to make himself a real option on the trade market before the deadline.
That strong performance seemed to carry over to Detroit, as he allowed just one run in his team debut on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. But after that, there were signs that he might be declining.
In his next outing against the Los Angeles Angels, he allowed six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched. And while he rebounded to throw six scoreless frames in his start after that, things only got worse for Morton.
After getting tagged for six earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 19, his ERA with the Tigers sat at 7.09 across nine starts while his ERA in the month of September was 12.75.
How Will Tigers Set Up Their Rotation?
Rainey is not a starting pitcher, so he will not be a like-for-like replacement. But he does give this pitching staff more options in the bullpen, which is something they desperately need right now.
The right-hander has not pitched for the Tigers this year, and his 10.57 ERA across 11 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates leaves a lot to be desired. However, he is a veteran who has shown the ability to be effective in the past.
With Morton no longer on the roster, the Tigers now have four starters on paper. That lines up more similarly to how they operated in the playoffs last year, with Tarik Skubal leading the way and bullpen games being thrown behind him.
Detroit has a little better set up now because they have Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize, but with Keider Montero being the only other starting-caliber pitcher available at the moment, that unit is thin coming down the home stretch as they try to fend off the Guardians for the AL Central title.
Throwing bullpen games at this stage of the season is not ideal, but it might be their only chance to actually secure themselves a spot in the playoffs.
