Wenceel

Perez

Sweeney has now started three of the four games since he was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. With Matt Vierling on the injured list, it seems that the Tigers are going to play Wenceel Perez in right field and shift Javier Baez to center field to allow Sweeney to play regularly at shortstop. The 25-year-old is hitting .208/.277/.301 in 88 games for the Tigers this year and remains off the fantasy radar.

Báez has been functioning as the team’s regular center fielder with both Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling sidelined once again. He’ll get a breather in this one though. Wenceel Pérez will slide over and cover center field and he’ll bat sixth against White Sox’ right-hander Yoendrys Gomez.

Pérez was reportedly available off the bench Sunday, but he wasn’t used. He’s starting in right field and batting third tonight.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Pérez is doing well and is available off the bench to pinch-hit, if necessary, after exiting Saturday’s contest with a right foot contusion. It appears the 25-year-old managed to avoid serious injury since precautionary imaging didn’t reveal any fractures or structural damage. It’ll be Javier Báez heading out to patrol center field in his absence on Sunday afternoon. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into Monday’s series opener against the White Sox.

The bad news is there’s pain and swelling in Pérez’s right foot. The good news is the outfielder has already undergone imaging and there’s no structural damage. Consider the 25-year-old day-to-day.

Pérez fouled a ball off his foot in the second inning, and it’s possible — if not probable — that is his reason for the early exit. He’ll likely undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury.

The home run was Perez’ ninth of the year. He hit a two-run shot off Travis Adams in the fifth inning, tying the game 2-2. Perez is 10-for-21 (.476) with two home runs and four RBI over his last six games. He’s raised his average from .235 to .262. He has an .805 OPS and 25 RBI this year.

It was all weak contact from Pérez, who didn’t start against a right-hander on Sunday. He was a great surprise for the Tigers upon returning from the IL in late May, but he’s hit .169/.224/.211 in 76 plate appearances this month, dropping his OPS from .944 to .722. The Parker Meadows injury helps him for now, but if the Tigers add a bat or two at the deadline, he might find his playing time diminishes rapidly.

The Tigers have Matt Vierling in left and Zach McKinstry in right tonight. It’s the second time in the Tigers’ last three games against righties that Pérez has taken a seat, which seems kind of odd because he typically hits third against them when he does play. The switch-hitting Pérez is batting .231/.297/.398 in 118 plate appearances against righties this season, compared to .344/.371/.781 in 35 plate appearances against lefties. It’s probably a fluke, though, as he was better against righties than lefties in each of the previous three seasons.

The 25-year-old outfielder got the Tigers on the board and evened things up at a run apiece with his 402-foot (105.1 mph EV) solo shot off of Slade Cecconi in the third inning. That would be his only hit in four at-bats on the night, but it was critical to the team’s victory. On the season, he’s slashing .269/.316/.565 with seven homers and 19 RBI in his first 117 plate appearances.