Former Detroit Tigers Top Draft Pick Misses Out on Opening Day Roster Spot, Sent to Triple-A

The Detroit Tigers have optioned former top prospect Matt Manning to Triple-A Toledo.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal but links to the original report in the Detroit Free Press.

The Tigers optioned Manning to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

ANALYSIS
Manning had been competing for a rotation spot, but he entered camp on the outside looking in for a roster berth after logging a 4.88 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB over his five starts in the big leagues and a 4.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 72:25 K:BB in 69.1 innings at Triple-A last season.

The former No. 9 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Manning just hasn't been able to put it together consistently at the in the majors. He's also dealt with significant injuries, limiting him to just 50 big-league appearances since making his debut in 2021.

Lifetime, he's 11-15 with a 4.43 ERA. Lacking true swing-and-miss stuff, Manning has fanned just 178 batters in 254 innings.

Manning was ranked as the No. 74 prospect in baseball in 2017 and then ascended to No. 55 in 2018. He reached No. 52 in 2019, No. 24 in 2020 and then dropped to No. 25 in 2021.

Manning should be first in line if the Tigers have issues in the major league rotation. They have not settled their rotation yet heading into Opening Day, which is March 27. The Tigers open in Los Angeles against the World Series-champion Dodgers.

The Tigers are coming off a season in which they advanced to the American League Divsion Series, losing in five games to the Cleveland Guardians.

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