Tigers Surprisingly Send Down Red-Hot Relief Pitcher To Make Room for Charlie Morton

The Detroit Tigers made a bold move to send down a top relief pitcher.

Jul 29, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

With the Detroit Tigers in the middle of a massive series against the Philadelphia Phillies, they have recently made some roster moves to get new faces on the team.

Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, the Tigers are focused on trying to build some momentum once again after a sluggish start to the second half of the season.

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While the Phillies might not play in the American League, they are one of the best teams in baseball, and this will be a good test for Detroit.

All eyes will be on the exciting pitching matchup on Saturday with Tarik Skubal facing Zack Wheeler. However, a roster decision made by the Tigers could have a significant impact on the team.

With the need to create space for starting pitcher Charlie Morton on Sunday, the Tigers elected to option relief pitcher Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A.

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#Tigers option Brenan Hanifee — one of their two "Relievers of the Month" for July — to Triple-A Toledo, opening roster spot as new starter Charlie Morton arrives https://t.co/vul7x2MirC

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 2, 2025

While the organization should be excited about having Morton join the rotation to start on Sunday Night Baseball, Hanifee was one of the best relief pitchers for Detroit in July. He totaled an impressive 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched.

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Overall, his numbers have been strong, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him go back to the minors. It will be interesting to see how long his stint in Triple-A lasts, especially considering the struggles of the bullpen for the Tigers of late.

More than likely, Hanifee will be back up sooner rather than later and regain his spot in the bullpen.

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