Detroit Tigers: JaCoby Jones optioned to Triple-A after early struggles

The Detroit Tigers have announced that they are making a switch in the outfield. Outfielder JaCoby Jones has been optioned to Triple-A and sent to the Toledo Mud Hens. In a corresponding move, they have brought up Victor Reyes, who was down in Toledo.

Jones has had an incredibly rough start to the 2021 season, and the Detroit Tigers have deemed that his time is done in the big leagues for the time being. He will have to earn a trip back up to the big leagues.

The veteran outfielder will likely get his call-up eventually, but he needs a reset to try and figure things out. He simply has been useless at the plate and unable to really get things going for the Tigers, which is what earned him a demotion.

If Jones can figure things out at the plate, there may be room for him back at the big-league level. Meanwhile, Reyes is going to try and prove he deserves to be kept around the Tigers clubhouse for some time.

Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones has been optioned to the Toledo Mud Hens.

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In 2021, Jones has logged 35 games at the big-league level, where he has 97 at-bats which is the same spot he was in last year when his season was cut short after 30 games.

His common, occurring injury seems to be getting hit and fracturing bones in his cheek/jaw or hand.

But in 2021, he has remained healthy and has not been plunked. The issue in 2021 is the fact that he is slashing .175/.208/.258 with 40 punchouts.

He simply has not been able to find a groove in the batters’ box. The thing that sucks about this is that Jones was doing quite well in 2020 around this time.

In the same number of at-bats as mentioned above, Jones was slashing .268/.333/.515 with 14 RBI in total. Interestingly enough, he had been punched out 34 times in 2020.

The strikeouts are only up by six, which means that Jones is just struggling to make good contact. If Jones can find some green and get on base more, he might get a call-up, but for now, Reyes gets to strut his stuff. At the very least, the hope will be that Jones can snap out of his funk.

In 2021, Reyes has logged 21 games where he is hitting .143/.169/.238 with 18 punchouts over 63 at-bats. The Tigers are seeming to think that Reyes has snapped his struggles. Hopefully, this is the case, and the fourth-year switch-hitter will be able to lock down a role in the outfield.

Until the Detroit Tigers deem JaCoby Jones worthy of a return to the roster, Reyes will be manning outfield duties. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how to feel, given both players are so far south of a .200 batting average.