The Tigers made the move official, selecting right-hander Tanner Rainey's contract from Triple-A Toledo, according to MLB Trade Rumors. He takes the roster spot of lefty Enmanuel De Jesus, who landed on the paternity list, and since Detroit had an open spot on the 40-man roster, the club didn't need to make any corresponding cuts.
It's been a winding road back to the majors for Rainey, 33. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates last winter, got knocked around in two separate MLB stints, and was released outright by Pittsburgh in July of last year. He caught on with Detroit shortly after, spent most of his time in Toledo, got designated for assignment, and was non-tendered — only for the Tigers to bring him right back on another minor league contract about a week later.
That patience is paying off. Across 39 appearances and 42 2/3 innings for Toledo this season, Rainey posted a 2.32 ERA with a 33.5% strikeout rate, though a 14.5% walk rate is a reminder his control has never fully come back into focus. It's a sharp turn from last year, when he combined for an 11.17 ERA between the Pirates and Tigers in 13 appearances.
Rainey was once a legitimate high-leverage arm in Washington, closing games for the Nationals in 2022 before a UCL tear ended that season and led to Tommy John surgery that August. He's never fully regained the upper-90s velocity that made him a weapon before the injury, but his stuff still plays in the minors, and now he gets another shot at proving it in the big leagues.
Because Rainey has more than five years of MLB service time, the Tigers can't option him back to Toledo without his consent — meaning this isn't a short cameo. If De Jesus returns from paternity leave and Rainey gets bumped from the active roster, his veteran status means he'd have to come off the 40-man entirely too.
The timing matters. Detroit sits at 59-60 and just half a game back of the final AL Wild Card spot, according to MLB.com's standings, riding an 8-2 stretch over its last 10 games. Every fresh arm in that bullpen picture counts right now, and the Tigers are betting Rainey's strikeout stuff can hold up in a pennant race his old numbers in Washington once suggested he was capable of.