The Detroit Tigers are continuing their march to the postseason, but they’ve hit some hard times. After dropping two of three games in a series with the Minnesota Twins this week, the Tigers’ lead in the American League Central has gone from a season-high 14 games on July 8 to six games entering this weekend’s series with the Los Angeles Angels.
Upcoming series with the Chicago White Sox and Twins should be an opportunity to get their groove back. But as the Tigers look to find themselves, another player who used to call Detroit home is getting another opportunity with a team that will look to push them for the American League pennant.
Buddy Kennedy makes his #BlueJays debut! pic.twitter.com/Q0NRn6YZOq
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 6, 2025
Blue Jays Call Up Former Tigers IF Buddy Kennedy
The Toronto Blue Jays announced earlier this week that they are calling up former Tigers infielder Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Buffalo. Kennedy began this season with the Philadelphia Phillies but signed with the Blue Jays after he was designated for assignment on June 30th.
A four-year veteran, Kennedy has yet to find his footing in the majors, hitting .190/.288/.292 with a pair of homers, 19 RBI and a stolen base across 59 games. That includes a six-game cup of coffee with the Tigers in 2024 when Kenned went 2-for-10 at the plate with a home run, four RBI, a stolen base, two walks and four strikeouts before he was traded to the Phillies in June 2024.
Kennedy still hasn’t had much luck, going 0-for-7 in four games with the Phillies this season and 0-for-2 with a run scored in his debut with Toronto on Wednesday night. But Kennedy has shown potential at the Triple-A level hitting .372/.408/.780 with eight homers, 45 RBI and three stolen bases on four attempts this season.
At 26 years old, there’s a chance that Kennedy is similar to another former Tiger, Kody Clemens, who has earned a key role with the Minnesota Twins after not getting an extended opportunity in the major leagues. But Kennedy is also running out of chances and will need to make the most of this one as he joins a contender.