The Detroit Tigers are calling up another prospect. The Tigers are bringing up outfielder Brett Callahan from Triple-A Toledo, with Callahan set to start in left field and bat seventh in his MLB debut against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Aug. 16. The left-handed batting Callahan was the team's 13th round pick in the 2023 draft and is the team's No. 19 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. In a corresponding move, the Tigers have designated outfielder Trei Cruz for assignment to make room on the active roster for Callahan.
Callahan, 24, has slashed .269/.365/.443 over 416 plate appearances in Double-A Erie (60 games) and Toledo (36 games) this season, putting up career highs in home runs (13) and RBIs (56) since his minor league debut in 2023. Callahan had not advanced past High-A West Michigan before the 2026 season began but showed strong power numbers during his time in Erie, putting up a .505 slugging percentage (second on the team among players with at least 50 games played) before his call-up to Toledo on June 23. He has also shown speed on the basepaths, with his 29 stolen bases the third-highest of any Tigers minor leaguer this season.
Welcome to Erie, Brett Callahan! A 423 foot home run, in his Double-A debut. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/VZrhlIUNI5 — Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 3, 2026 "You're going to see him play with a ton of energy," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "He's got the big swing. He's got some impact against right-handed pitching, and he's got some athleticism to run the bases. All things that we're attracted to, and we fell like he can help us find these small edges against the right-handed starters we're gonna face in the next few days." The Tigers have gotten high levels of production from several rookies this season, most notably from American League Rookie of the Year favorite Kevin McGonigle. Callahan will be joining a clubhouse with plenty of familiar faces, including other 2026 Triple-A standouts Max Clark, Ben Malgeri and Eduardo Valencia. "He's played with a lot of these guys," Hinch said. "It's just lean on these guys who have been your teammates, when you see your teammates make that step, hopefully that transition can be a little bit easier." Callahan's call-up brings another lefty into the lineup four days after left-handed slugger Riley Greene was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Callahan has an .879 OPS against right-handed pitchers in the minors this season, though his overall power production has cooled off since joining Toledo, with just one home run in 36 games. Cruz, who rejoined the major league team on Aug. 13 after outfielder James Outman was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list, didn't see any action in his second major-league stint this season. Cruz has appeared in two games this season, recording five total plate appearances without a hit. Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports! You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers call up OF Brett Callahan for some lefty power