Tigers move struggling deadline acquisition Paddack to bullpen
The Detroit Tigers are moving right-hander Chris Paddack to the bullpen, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Tuesday, including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Paddack was one of the Tigers' marquee trade-deadline additions. He made his first relief appearance in two years on Tuesday, allowing six runs on eight hits - including two homers - while striking out one in 1 1/3 innings of work against the New York Mets. The Tigers trailed 12-2 when he was removed.
The Tigers acquired Paddack and minor-league right-hander Randy Dobnak from the Minnesota Twins on July 28 in exchange for catching prospect Enrique Jimenez. Paddack was supposed to solidify the back end of their rotation down the stretch; instead, he's been hit hard. Paddack entered Tuesday sporting the worst K/9 (4.2) and second-highest FIP (6.16) among all starters with at least 30 innings since the trade.
Paddack's 2025 splits
| Team | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twins | 111 | 4.95 | 1.28 | 6.7 | 17 |
| Tigers | 31.1 | 6.89 | 1.40 | 4.3 | 10 |
Paddack failed to record a strikeout in two of his six starts as a Tiger and allowed eight runs in 5.2 innings during a loss to the Twins on Aug. 17. In his most recent start Aug. 29, Paddack allowed three runs and two homers with no strikeouts in 3.2 innings against the Kansas City Royals.
The 29-year-old is in the final season of a $12.525-million contract he originally signed with Minnesota in 2023.
With Paddack now in the bullpen, Detroit's rotation plans for the weekend remain unclear. Sawyer Gipson-Long started Tuesday against the Mets after being recalled from Triple-A, while Casey Mize will get the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Charlie Morton are likely to start against the Chicago White Sox in some order on the weekend.