Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) received the second of two scheduled cortisone injections on Friday, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. Perez was forced to the injured list to begin the 2025 season due to lumbar-spine inflammation, and there's currently no timetable for his return. With no clear picture on when he might be able to make his season debut, the 25-year-old most likely won't come off the IL until May. When he is healthy, expect him to be an option for a platoon role in center field with Parker Meadows (arm) also out for the foreseeable future. The switch-hitting Dominican can be left to the waiver wire in mixed leagues for now. Last year was his first year in the big leagues, and he hit .242/.300/.383 with a .683 OPS, nine home runs, 37 RBI and nine steals in 112 games played.

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said that outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) is expected to be out at least a month to begin the season due to lower-back inflammation. Perez is scheduled to receive an injection in his back later this week. The Tigers have been hit hard with injuries to their outfielders at the start of the year, as Perez, Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) will all open on the injured list. It's why Detroit just signed veteran Manuel Margot, who could actually open the year as the team's primary center fielder. Another option would be for the Tigers to move Riley Greene to center field, which would open up playing time for Justyn-Henry Malloy in left field. Ryan Kreidler was also returned from minor-league camp this week to provide extra outfield depth early on. This news is obviously a big hit to Perez's fantasy value in AL-only leagues.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (back) received a cortisone injection in his back. However, the team expressed optimism and expect the 25-year-old to be ready for Opening Day. Perez has been dealing with lower-back tightness over the past two weeks. Fantasy managers should monitor his status but it appears the injury is not overly serious, given Detroit's optimism. While Perez remains sidelined for the time being, Riley Greene should continue to see opportunities in center field. However, once Perez is cleared for action, he will likely have a starting role in the everyday lineup as Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) are both expected to miss Opening Day. Last summer, Perez made his MLB debut and held a .242/.300/.383 line with nine home runs and nine stolen bases across 112 contests. He will have short-term value in deeper formats while he holds a spot in the starting nine.

Detroit Tigers second baseman/outfielder Wenceel Perez is set to see increased opportunities in the outfield with Matt Vierling (shoulder) and Parker Meadows (biceps) sidelined. Vierling is dealing with a right shoulder injury and is to undergo further evaluation. Meadows is dealing with inflammation but did not suffer any structural damage. The 25-year-old is likely to be cleared for baseball activities in the coming days. However, for the time being, Perez could have an increased role in camp. Last season, Perez logged 105 of his starts in the outfield. However, he spent most of his time at the keystone in the minor leagues. Across his first 112 games in the majors, Perez posted a .242/.300/.383 line. He hit 12 doubles, nine home runs, and swiped nine bags. Fantasy managers should expect Perez to operate as a depth option during the regular season and only have value in deeper formats.

Detroit Tigers second baseman Wenceel Perez will start on the bench for Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. In two of the three games of the ALDS to this point, Perez has gone 1-for-5 at the plate. With Perez out on Thursday, Matt Vierling will start in right field and will bat third, with Zach McKinstry playing third base and batting seventh against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee. Both Vierling and McKinstry have decent history against Bibee. Vierling has gone 3-for-11 (.273) against him with two home runs, four RBI and one strikeout, while McKinstry has gone 5-for-15 (.333) with two doubles, two RBI and a walk against Bibee. Vierling will be the more attractive DFS play near the top of the order. So far in the postseason this fall, he has just four hits in 18 at-bats with a double, two RBI and seven strikeouts.

Detroit Tigers rookie second baseman Wenceel Perez is back in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday at Comerica Park against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Alex Cobb, playing right field and batting fifth. Zach McKinstry will start on the bench in this one. Perez supplied two hits and a run scored in the Game 1 loss to Cleveland on Saturday and didn't get the start in the Game 2 win on Monday. The 24-year-old Dominican switch-hitter hit .242/.300/.383 with a below-average .683 OPS, nine home runs, 37 RBI and nine stolen bases in his first 112 major-league games in 2024. Perez did not face Cobb at all this year but was much more productive against right-handers as a lefty hitter this year, batting .251 (76-for-303) with eight of his nine home runs against them. He'll be a low-upside DFS sleeper for Wednesday's full slate of playoff action.

Detroit Tigers infielder Wenceel Perez will retreat to the bench for Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The left-handed-hitting Colt Keith will man the keystone and will bat fifth for the Tigers versus Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Perez contributed two hits and scored a run in the Game 1 upset win over the Astros to put them on the brink of elimination. Matt Vierling is also starting in right field, with Zach McKinstry getting the nod at the hot corner. In his first big-league season in 2023, Keith held his own with a .260 average (134-for-516) with 13 home runs, 15 doubles, four triples, 61 RBI, seven stolen bases and 54 runs scored in 148 games played. He actually hit over .300 against lefties in 82 at-bats, but 12 of his 13 home runs on the season came against right-handers.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Prez (oblique) might be sidelined for the rest of his rookie season after sustaining a left-oblique strain during Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Although the Tigers haven't officially ruled him out, manager A.J. Hinch was non-committal about Prez returning before the season finale on Sept. 29. Prez, a switch-hitter, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday due to the oblique strain, but he is expected to be out for much longer. In 97 games (347 at-bats) this season, he is slashing .242/.298/.386 with nine homers and 32 RBI. In his place, the Tigers have called up outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez will head to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. Veteran outfielder Akil Baddoo will take his place on the roster. Perez left the game Friday night due to soreness in his abdominal area. The severity of the injury is unknown, but a serious oblique strain could end Perez's season. The rookie has been a pleasant surprise, hitting .242 with nine home runs, 32 RBI, nine stolen bases and 49 runs scored in 378 plate appearances.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (abdomen) exited with left abdominal tightness in Friday night's game against the hosting San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. He drew one walk in two plate appearances, getting replaced by Bligh Madris in Detroit's outfield. Perez hasn't been all that fantasy relevant in 2024, but he's played a big role for the Tigers in 97 games, slashing .242/.298/.386 with nine home runs, 49 runs scored, and nine stolen bases over 378 plate appearances. The 24-year-old switch-hitter should be deemed day-to-day prior to Saturday's matchup against the Giants. If Perez isn't in the lineup for a day or two, Madris and Zach McKinstry would be in line for an uptick in at-bats, with Matt Vierling (back) nursing a back issue.

Detroit Tigers infielders Colt Keith and Wenceel Perez are not in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Andy Ibanez is starting at second base and will bat leadoff for Detroit, with Ryan Vilade playing right field and batting ninth against Dodgers left-hander James Paxton. Vilade was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Friday. Both Keith and Perez have been swinging hot bats for the Tigers, but they'll take the day off to kick off the weekend. Keith, a 22-year-old rookie, has been especially productive so far in July, going 13-for-37 (.351) with four home runs, two triples, nine RBI, a stolen base and 12 runs scored in 10 games. Ibanez, 31, has hit an impressive .288 (36-for-125) this year in limited playing time, but his DFS upside as a sleeper is limited because of his lack of power and speed.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez had a huge game in a 13-5 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday. Perez went 4-for-6 with two runs, two RBI, and a stolen base to help propel his team to the win over Houston. The rookie outfielder has been a solid addition to the top of the Detroit lineup as he's batting .260 with three homers, 27 runs, 17 RBI, and five steals across 177 at-bats in 2024. On the heels of his four-hit game, Perez is now hitting .321 over his past seven contests. Perez is worth a look in deep mixed leagues and in AL-only formats for fantasy gamers looking to bolster their benches.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (illness) was scratched from Sunday's lineup in the Bronx against the New York Yankees due to an illness. Rookie second baseman Colt Keith will now enter the lineup at second base while batting seventh, with Andy Ibanez at third base and leading off and Matt Vierling in right field and in the two-hole versus Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes. Perez, who was slated to make his seventh straight start, should be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. The 24-year-old has earned more playing time by hitting .302 (16-for-53) in the early going with three homers, eight RBI and two stolen bases for the Tigers. Ibanez and Vierling are both worth looking at as low-cost DFS sleepers at the top of Detroit's lineup.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Perez launched a solo shot in the bottom of the second and then hit a two-run blast in the seventh. The 24-year-old has performed very well in his first 15 games at the major-league level with a .302/.375/.628 stat line with three home runs and two swiped bags. Perez has now started in seven consecutive games and is worth looking into in AL-only formats and deeper mixed leagues due to his recent power surge.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez went 3-for-5 with two singles and a triple in Friday's 5-4 win over the Twins. Perez also drove in two runs, scored twice, and stole a base. In a tie ballgame, the 24-year-old's last hit came in the ninth inning after the Twins intentionally walked the batter in front of him, and it drove in what would be the winning run. Perez has only played in seven MLB games, but is 5-for-16 (.313), including a double and a triple, along with two RBI, three runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases. He had 26 steals in the minors last season, so he does have some speed. If he keeps this up he'll certainly put himself on the fantasy radar.

MLive's Evan Woodbery writes that El Varon Sports is reporting that Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder Wenceel Perez is being promoted to the big leagues on Monday. Perez also shared the news on his Instagram story on Monday morning. The club's No. 20 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has been playing the outfield in eight games with Triple-A Toledo to start the 2024 season and had gone 7-for-33 (.212) with a home run, five RBI, four stolen bases and eight runs scored in his first 37 plate appearances this year. The 24-year-old had an .890 OPS at Toledo in 35 games last year and also stole 26 bases in three minor-league stops. It remains to be seen how much Perez will actually play in Detroit, but he's at least worth a waiver-wire consideration for his speed in AL-only fantasy leagues for now.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Wenceel Perez has gradually climbed through the farm system since being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2016. He made his Triple-A debut last season and looked solid, reaching base at a high rate and maintaining a K/BB rate near 1.0. He lacks power and struggles to hit left-handed pitching but makes up for these deficiencies with solid contact skills, impressive base running, and pure athleticism. Perez is off to a strong start this season, hitting 3-for-11 with a double, two triples, and zero strikeouts last week. He also drove in two runs, walked twice, and stole two bases. If he can continue to avoid strikeouts and extend plays with his legs, he will be able to make up for his lack of power in the majors.