Detroit Tigers: Daniel Fields Called Up to Make Major League Debut
By Matt Snyder
The Detroit Tigers will reportedly place Rajai Davis on the paternity list and call up Daniel Fields from the minor leagues.
The Detroit Tigers have more roster shuffling to deal with ahead of Tuesday’s home series opener against the Oakland Athletics. Rajai Davis is being placed on the paternity list to be with his wife during the birth of their second child (though Mrs. Davis will be the one doing all the hard work).
That leaves another opening on the 25-man roster, a spot the Tigers have elected to fill by calling up Daniel Fields to the major leagues for the first time in his career.
Wow!! Words can't describe how happy I am! Been a long road but well worth it. Can't wait to put on that uniform baby!!
— Daniel Fields (@dfields_23) June 2, 2015
Fields, son of former Detroit Tigers player and hitting coach Bruce Fields, was drafted by the Tigers out of University of Detroit Jesuit High School in the 2009 MLB draft and has been slowly rising up the ranks since.
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Fields, who has good speed, has been primarily a center fielder in his minor league career, but he’ll shift to a corner spot if he sees playing time in the field.
Fields has seen tremendous results with the bat this season in the minor leagues with an .866 OPS so far, but it looks like he’s benefited from some good BABIP luck (.371 BABIP). He’s always been a high strikeout player (25% for his minor league career), but when he’s going well he’ll also be drawing a decent number of walks (10% for his minor league career).
The Tigers will miss Davis for three days (the maximum stint on the paternity list), but the Athletics are scheduled to start three right-handed pitchers in the three-game series, so Davis’ normal platoon spot won’t be coming up. Anthony Gose will handle center field and leadoff duties, and Fields and Tyler Collins (who both hit left-handed) can help fill the outfield/DH void with J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes.