DETROIT: By rewarding two pitchers who have excelled in Triple-A Toledo over the past two seasons, the Detroit Tigers have added depth to their starting rotation.

Before Thursday’s game, the right-hander Brenan Hanifee and left-hander Sean Guenther had their contracts selected by the Tigers.

Jim Leyland’s number will be retired by the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

FOX 2 DETROIT – This weekend, when the Detroit Tigers play the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park, they will hold a ceremony to retire former coach Jim Leyland’s uniform number.

Leyland, who wore No. 10 throughout his lengthy career with the Tigers, will only be the second manager in franchise history to have his number honored; Sparky Anderson being the other.

Leyland is the first manager in Tigers history to have guided the team to four postseason berths and one of just three managers to win at least 700 games with Detroit. He managed for 22 seasons, the last eight of which were in Detroit.

He leads all Major League winners with eighteen triumphs. Including a 700-597 record while playing with the Tigers.

At Comerica Park, the No. 10 will be permanently stenciled with other retired numbers.

Ryan Gustafson, President and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, stated, “We are excited to welcome Jim Leyland and his family back to Detroit and for his name and number to be forever displayed among the Tigers greats at Comerica Park.” “We were honored to celebrate with Jim at his Hall of Fame induction and look forward to our fans saluting him for the tremendous run he and his Tigers teams had in our city.”

Prior to Saturday’s game, on August 3 at 5:25 p.m., there will be a ceremony.

According to an announcement from the Tigers, the first 15,000 fans to arrive at the game will receive a Jim Leyland “Starter Pack” that contains a baseball cap, a mustache, and sunglasses.

On August 3, there will also be a public autograph appearance at Comerica Park at 11:30 a.m. It is going to be at D Shop.

MLB: The Tigers will choose Brenan Hanifee

Brenan Hanifee, a right-hander, and Sean Guenther, a left-hander, have both had their contracts selected, the Tigers said. Javier Báez, the shortstop, was also taken back off the medical emergency/bereavement list. They will fill the roster vacancies left by Andrew Chafin, Mark Canha, and Jack Flaherty, who were all dealt on deadline day. Before the official announcement, the news about Hanifee on X was passed along by Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Guenther’s selection was first reported by Chris McCosky of the Detroit News on X.

Last year, Hanifee, 26, had a quick peek at the major leagues. He pitched three appearances for the Tigers after being selected in September, giving up three earned runs in five innings. After the season, he re-signed with the team on a minor league contract after being non-tendered.

He has pitched 34 Triple-A innings this year, giving up 47 innings of hits. Although he has given up 5.17 earned runs every nine innings, he probably deserved much more. This year, he has a great strikeout rate of 26%, a walk rate of 6.9%, and a ground ball rate of 56.1%. Fewer runs would have crossed the plate if not for a.315 batting average on balls in play and a 61.6% strand rate, both of which are unlucky. Compared to his ERA, which is more than a run better, his 3.86 FIP may be a more accurate representation of his performance this season.

The Tigers may have some leverage for Hanifee with the trades of Flaherty and Chafin, as well as the recent injuries to Matt Manning, Reese Olson, and Casey Mize. Hanifee has been averaging more than an inning per appearance in Triple-A this season. With only a few days of service remaining, he still has a complete slate of options, so if the Tigers want, he could stay on the team for a long time.

With a 9.30 ERA in 14 games with the Marlins in 2021, Guenther, 28, pitched for the team. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2022, he was placed on the injured list the whole season until the Tigers claimed him off waivers in November. Shortly later, he was declared off the roster outright, and he has now spent nearly two years with the Tigers in non-roster roles.

In that time, he has thrown 95 minor league innings with a 3.69 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate. In Triple-A last season, he had a ground ball rate of 47.1%; this year, it is 55.5%. He possesses all of Hanifee’s options, but because he spent all of 2022 on the IL, his service time is now more than a year old.