With the calendar officially flipping to September, all 30 MLB teams are in the process of calling up various players from the minor leagues as the rosters expand from 26 to 28 players.
The Detroit Tigers are hoping that their September call-ups can help them down the stretch, as they look to capture the AL Central title and one of the top two seeds in the American League.
Ahead of their series opener against the New York Mets on Monday, the Tigers called up Justyn-Henry Malloy and Chase Lee from Triple-A, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic.
Tigers are calling up Justyn-Henry Malloy and Chase Lee today
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) September 1, 2025
Sawyer Gipson-Long is here for an acclimation day and will be activated tomorrow
Tigers fans were hoping that the team would call up infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee, who has spent the season at Triple-A Toledo. While that didn’t happen, fans are happy to see Malloy back with the big league club.
The 25-year-old Malloy will try to win a job on the postseason roster as a pinch-hitting specialist against lefties. However, it won’t be an easy feat for Malloy, as Jahmai Jones has played well this season when called upon.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, Jahmai Jones Battling for Roster Spot Down the Stretch
Heading into September, Jones is slashing .240/.330/.469 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 15 RBI across 54 games. Furthermore, the veteran outfielder has hit the ball well against lefties when given the opportunity – .240 with four home runs and nine RBI and an OPS of .831.
As for Malloy, he began the season in the Motor City, but struggled at the plate. He hit .208 with a home run and 16 RBI across 46 games. Eventually, Detroit optioned Malloy down to Triple-A at the beginning of June.
The Tigers briefly called Malloy back to the majors for a couple of days in July, just to send him back down to the minors.
At Triple-A Toledo, the young outfielder started to find the groove at the plate, slugging .317 with 18 doubles, eight home runs, and 51 RBI in 66 games. Malloy also sported an excellent .934 OPS.
In the majors this season, the right-handed hitting outfielder/designated hitter was slugging .245 against southpaws. But Malloy showed improvements in the minors, hitting .281 with two home runs and 22 RBI against lefties.
Therefore, if Malloy can hit close to that clip this month, he’ll give himself a chance to stick on the roster and possibly play in the postseason. It will be a fascinating battle to watch over the next few weeks as Parker Meadows could return, along with Matt Vierling, who is reportedly targeting a September return.