Tigers' Joey Wentz: Fans four in relief appearance
Rotowire
Wentz logged 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Twins. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four.
So far so good for Wentz as a long reliever, as the lefty now has a 1.17 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 7.2 innings. His stuff has played up a bit in relief, with his average fastball velocity this year sitting at 94.3 mph, up from 93.4 mph in 2023, and his K/9 has increased from 8.3 to 11.7. Wentz looks like a useful bullpen option for the Tigers, and he could parlay that into more high-leverage work at some point.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Continues to pitch well
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Wentz logged two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in Monday's loss to the Pirates, and he now has a 1.69 ERA across three appearances this season.
It's a small sample size of just 5.1 total innings, but Wentz has pitched well, pairing a 1.13 WHIP and six strikeouts with the strong ERA. The southpaw has retired more than three batters in all of his outings so far, so it looks like he'll be trusted as a long reliever moving forward. It's not the most fantasy-friendly role, though Wentz could steal a few wins here and there.
Wentz will make the Tigers' Opening Day roster in a bullpen role, Julie Kreuz of MLB.com reports.
Wentz struggled mightily as a starter last season, but he will stick around in Detroit as a reliever. The lefty was effective in spring training, posting a 2.93 ERA and striking out 15 batters over 15.1 innings. Wentz may not see high-leverage work right out of the gate, though as a southpaw, he has a chance to earn trust quickly if he can retire left-handed hitters on a regular basis.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Looks good in relief
Rotowire
After logging two scoreless innings with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Wentz now has a 1.29 ERA across four spring appearances.
Wentz has been scored upon only once in his four outings, and he's also struck out seven batters across seven innings of work. The lefty struggled mightily as a starter for the Tigers in 2023, but so far, he looks comfortable in a relief role. If his stuff plays up a bit out of the bullpen all year, Wentz may find some success as a reliever, though that's unlikely to translate to much fantasy value.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Effective in spring debut
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Wentz tossed two scoreless innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He allowed a hit and two walks, while striking out five.
It's of course a small sample, but this was an encouraging outing for Wentz. The southpaw mostly served as a starter for the Tigers last year and struggled mightily, posting a 6.90 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 105.2 innings. The team announced before spring training that Wentz will be focusing on a relief role in camp, with some hope that his stuff will play up out of the bullpen. It remains to be seen if Wentz can remain effective in this role, though it seems like Detroit will give him an opportunity to establish himself as a left-handed relief option heading into the regular season.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Will be used as reliever
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Wentz will focus on competing for a bullpen job with the Tigers this spring, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Nearly all of Wentz's pro experience has been as a starting pitcher. However, he's out of options and isn't viewed as a viable rotation option right now, so the Tigers want to evaluate him solely as a reliever. Wentz holds a career 5.99 ERA and 125:60 K:BB over 138.1 frames covering 32 appearances (26 starts).
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Shelled in loss
Rotowire
Wentz (3-13) took the loss Friday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and three walks over 2.1 innings against the Guardians. He struck out two.
It has a been a miserable year for Wentz as he is tied for fifth in the league with 13 losses. The 25-year-old lefty's September was particularly rough, as he has an 8.39 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB in 16.1 innings. Wentz ends his 2023 season with a gruesome 6.90 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 98:47 K:BB over 105.2 frames.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Gets one final start
Rotowire
Wentz is slated to start Friday's game against the Guardians at Comerica Park.
Since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on Aug. 30, Wentz has mostly worked in the rotation, though his two most recent appearances came as a bulk reliever. He'll move into a traditional starting role Friday, hoping to close the season on a high note as he stakes his claim to a more permanent spot in the rotation in 2024. Over 103.1 innings with the big club this season, Wentz has gone 3-12 with a 6.45 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 96:44 K:BB.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Optioned off roster
Rotowire
Wentz was optioned off the active roster Saturday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Wentz wasn't going to pitch again after starting Friday's game against the Guardians, so he'll exit the roster to give the Tigers another bullpen arm, with Garrett Hill taking his place. Wentz will end the season with a 6.90 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 105.2 innings of work.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Takes 12th loss in bulk relief
Rotowire
Wentz (3-12) took the loss Saturday in Oakland, allowing two runs on three hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out five without issuing any walks.
The 25-year-old was deployed in a bulk-relief role, entering in the second frame after Miguel Diaz fired 1.1 scoreless innings operating as the team's opener. In Wentz's longest outing since June 17, he allowed just three hits, but one happened to be a two-run homer that gave Oakland the lead and saddled the southpaw with his 12th loss of the campaign. Control has been an issue all season, as he had a 4.1 BB/9 across 97.2 innings prior to Saturday, when Wentz avoided handing out any free passes for just the second time all season. It remains to be seen what role he fulfills in the final week of the campaign.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Tabbed for bulk-relief role
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Wentz is slated to work in bulk relief behind Miguel Diaz in Sunday's game against the Angels, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Diaz is expected to work only an inning or two before turning the game over to Wentz, who is essentially making his second straight turn through the rotation. While serving as a traditional starter in his last appearance Tuesday, Wentz took a no-decision while giving up five runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks over 2.2 frames. The Tigers will be hoping that the opener/bulk-pitcher arrangement between Diaz and Wentz yields more favorable results Sunday.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Picks up third win
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Wentz (3-11) allowed three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out seven over 4.1 innings to earn the win Sunday over the Angels.
Wentz worked behind opener Miguel Diaz, who pitched a scoreless first inning. The Tigers' offense did the heavy lifting to establish a lead, powered by two home runs from Jake Rogers, before Wentz ran into some trouble in the fifth and sixth innings. While far from a stellar outing, it was enough for Wentz to earn his first win since July 29. The 25-year-old southpaw has given up 21 runs (18 earned) over 21.1 innings over his last six appearances and now has a 6.63 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 91:44 K:BB through 97.2 innings overall. He's lined up to make his next appearance on the road in Oakland.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Gets another turn through rotation
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Wentz is scheduled to pitch either as a starter or bulk reliever in Sunday's game against the Angels, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Wentz faltered in his return to the rotation Tuesday, failing to escape the third inning in his start against the Reds while allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks. The Tigers still plan to keep Wentz in the fold as part of a six-man rotation, though manager A.J. Hinch could elect to deploy the lefty behind an opener Sunday with the hope of coaxing better results from him. In four appearances out of the bullpen this season, Wentz has turned in a 4.11 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 12.7 K-BB% over 15.1 innings.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Struggles continue Tuesday
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Wentz allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits across 2.2 innings and did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Reds. He walked three and struck out one.
While three of the runs he allowed were unearned, Wentz still wasn't particularly effective, allowing nine baserunners while only retiring eight batters. The lefty may stick in the rotation with Detroit dealing with a number of injuries, but he can't be trusted in fantasy at this point. Wentz will carry a 6.65 ERA into a potential start Monday against the Dodgers on the road, and he should be avoided in the tough spot.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Rejoining rotation Tuesday
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Wentz is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Reds at Comerica Park, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Wentz worked in relief in his last two appearances, with his most recent outing behind a 1.1-inning mop-up outing Sept. 5 against the Yankees. The young southpaw appeared set to stick in the bullpen after the Tigers called up Sawyer Gipson-Long from Triple-A Toledo to start Sunday's series finale against the White Sox, but Detroit may have room for both Gipson-Long and Wentz in the rotation if the club elects to expand to a six-man setup in the wake of Matt Manning's season-ending foot injury. Wentz will be making his 18th start of the season Tuesday and carries a 2-11 record, 6.65 ERA and 1.64 WHIP into the contest.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Working in bullpen
Rotowire
Wentz made his most recent appearance out of the Tigers bullpen in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Yankees, giving up one earned run on no hits and two walks over 1.1 innings.
Wentz ended up being the pitcher of record in the game, dropping to 2-11 overall on the season. The relief appearance came on the heels of a five-inning outing as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen Aug. 30, when he struck out six while giving up four earned runs on five hits and three walks, also in a matchup with the Yankees. A spot in Detroit's rotation opened up this weekend when Matt Manning (foot) was placed on the 15-day injured list, but rather than appointing Wentz as the team's new No. 5 starter, the Tigers turned to Sawyer Gipson-Long to fill the spot. Gipson-Long picked up a win against the White Sox on Sunday while striking out five over five innings of a two-run ball, so he'll likely remain in the rotation while Wentz sticks in a relief role.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Covers five innings Wednesday
Rotowire
Wentz tossed five innings as the bulk pitcher in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Yankees. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six.
The six strikeouts were nice, but Wentz was largely ineffective once again, pushing his season ERA to 6.65, which would be the worst in the majors if he qualified. Three home runs accounted for most of the damage, and he's now allowed 21 long balls this season in 89.1 innings. Wentz may continue to get some chances as a starter or bulk reliever down the stretch, but he can be avoided in fantasy given his struggles.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Called up as bulk pitcher
Rotowire
Wentz was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to serve as the Tigers' bulk pitcher Wednesday against the Yankees, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Brendan White is going to open the game in Detroit, but Wentz is expected to follow him and cover the majority of innings versus the visiting Yankees. Wentz, 25, has struggled to a 6.62 ERA through 17 starts and two relief appearances this season at the major-league level.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Likely pitching Wednesday
Rotowire
Wentz is expected to be called up by the Tigers to pitch Wednesday against the Yankees, either as a starter or behind an opener, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Pressreports.
The 25-year-old has a 6.62 ERA in 19 appearances (17 starts) for Detroit this season, and it appears he'll receive another look in the majors this week. Wentz already joined the big-league club Tuesday, though he'll still need to be officially added to the active roster ahead of Wednesday's contest.
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Tigers' Joey Wentz: Sent back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Tigers optioned Wentz to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.
Wentz was returned to the minors one day after he served as the 27th man for the Tigers' twin bill with the Guardians. He ended up starting the second game of the doubleheader and took a no-decision in the Tigers' 4-1 loss while striking out three and scattering four hits and two walks over five scoreless frames. Though the Tigers don't have a spot available for him in the rotation at the moment, Wentz should be first in line for a promotion if injuries test the big club's starting depth at any point over the final five and a half weeks of the season.
