Detroit Tigers Set Roster for American League Wild Card Series Against Houston Astros

DETROIT – Ahead of the opening game of the American League Wild Card series, both the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros have announced their 26-man rosters. The Tigers are returning to postseason action for the first time in a decade, following a remarkable run that secured their playoff spot last Friday. This marks their first playoff appearance since 2014, and overall, their 17th entry into the postseason arena.

The series opener is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:32 p.m. ET. Notably, this series will have special significance for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who previously managed the Astros from 2015 to 2019, leading them to a World Series title in 2017.

The Detroit Tigers have named their roster, including pitchers such as Beau Brieske, Jason Foley, Sean Guenther, Brenan Hanifee, Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, Jackson Jobe, Ty Madden, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, Tarik Skubal, and Will Vest. The position players include Kerry Carpenter, Dillon Dingler, Riley Greene, Andy Ibáñez, Jace Jung, Colt Keith, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Zach McKinstry, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Pérez, Jake Rogers, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, and Matt Vierling.

The Astros’ roster features pitchers Bryan Abreu, Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Caleb Ferguson, Josh Hader, Yusei Kikuchi, Bryan King, Héctor Neris, Ryan Pressly, and Framber Valdez. Among position players are Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Victor Caratini, Zach Dezenzo, Yainer Diaz, Mauricio Dubón, Jason Heyward, Grae Kessinger, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Peña, César Salazar, Jon Singleton, and Kyle Tucker.

Tarik Skubal is set to start the series opener for the Tigers, marking his first appearance in a postseason game. Skubal, originally from Hayward, California, and a former Seattle University attendee, was drafted by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, making his Major League debut in 2020. This season, Skubal has been phenomenal, capturing the AL pitching Triple Crown by leading in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average (ERA), making him a strong contender for the Cy Young Award.

Meanwhile, notable absence on the Astros’ active roster is veteran pitcher Justin Verlander. The former Tigers pitcher and three-time Cy Young Award winner has been relegated to the Astros’ taxi squad. Verlander, 41, has been struggling since his return from injury, posting a 5.48 ERA and a 5-6 record over 17 appearances this season.

The Wild Card series schedule places Game 2 on Wednesday at 2:32 p.m. ET. If necessary, Game 3 will occur on Thursday, also at 2:32 p.m. ET. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the line is set at Tigers +120 and Astros -142, with the over/under at 6.5 runs, indicating tight competition ahead.