Detroit Tigers Call Up 28-Year-Old First Baseman

The Detroit Tigers are set to call up a first baseman to make his debut for Detroit.

Mar 15, 2024; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Bligh Madris (67) and outfielder Zach McKinstry (39) talk before the start of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. / Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers made multiple roster moves on Sunday, placing Kerry Carpenter on the 60-day injured list. Carpenter has already been on the injured list for 55 days, which, according to Chris McCosky, doesn't give any indication of his recovery time.

The Tigers made the move to make room for Bligh Madris on the 40-man roster, who's set to make his debut in a Detroit uniform at the big league level.

Madris is set to start on Sunday, playing first base and hitting sixth in the lineup.

The decision to call up the 28-year-old does come as somewhat of a surprise, given the Spencer Torkelson situation. Torkelson was sent to Triple-A Toledo and has yet to figure it out at that level, slashing .234/.349/.383 with five home runs in 141 at-bats.

After drafting Torkelson with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the right-handed slugger hasn't made much of an impact for the Tigers outside of his sophomore campaign when he hit 31 home runs.

Torkelson slashed .201/.266/.330 with four home runs in 209 at-bats at the big league level in 2024 before being sent down.

It's uncertain what the organization's plan is for him at this point, but it can't be a great sign for the 24-year-old that they called up a different first baseman, especially one who wasn't on the 40-man roster.

Perhaps Torkelson could be dealt in the coming weeks, as it seems safe to say that a team around the league should have an interest in the California native.

For now, Madris will get an opportunity to show he belongs after slashing .236/.339/.464 with 14 home runs in 263 at-bats in Triple-A.