The Detroit Tigers lost an outfielder to the injured list for the second straight day. The Tigers announced that outfielder James Outman has been placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. Outman got hit by a 94.2 mph fastball from Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski in the seventh inning on his chin. "I asked [Guardians catcher Austin] Hedges on the way by where it actually hit him," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the 6-4 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday. "And it ricocheted and then hit him, I think, in the chin. I think it might have touched his shoulder first."
Tigers OF James Outman goes on 7-day concussion IL after he took an Erik Sabrowski fastball off his chin (possibly deflected off his shoulder first) last night. Trei Cruz recalled from Triple-A Toledo. pic.twitter.com/JAPXT6aKDq — Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 13, 2026 Outman remained in the game after getting hit. He played the final two innings in left field as part of the replacement plan for All-Star Riley Greene, who hit the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain on Wednesday. He had one more at-bat against Guardians All-Star closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning and struck out swinging on a splitter in the dirt. "It probably feels like he got sucker-punched in the chin," Hinch said Wednesday.
Detroit recalled outfielder Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo to fill his spot. Cruz made a brief appearance for the Tigers in June, appearing in his first two career MLB games. He went 0-for-5 at the plate with three strikeouts while playing in both corner outfield positions. CF LOCKED DOWN: Why Tigers rookie Max Clark had one of the best strikeouts you'll see Cruz, a switch-hitter, was a bench option in Thursday's series finale against the Guardians. Ben Malgeri started in right field. Javier Báez made the first start of his 13-year MLB career in left field in place of Greene. Báez has made previous brief appearances in left, but had never started a game at the position. "Something did happen and some time opened up in left field, so [I] put him out there today," Hinch said pregame. "It will be yet another position that he is starting in his career. I think I have right field, first base and catcher left – no promises on those. But he was all in when I talked to him last night." Contact Jared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers lose another outfielder, this time to concussion