The summer days are rolling by as the 2025 MLB All-Star Game approaches. The Detroit Tigers still look like World Series threats with an MLB-best 59-34 record as of Wednesday morning, leaving time to tell how A.J. Hinch's club will continue to grow momentum before the action is paused next week.
Not only are the All-Star festivities on the horizon, but so is this year's MLB trade deadline. The Tigers could be one of the more active teams ahead of the July 31 deadline, meaning there's a good chance that some familiar faces are currently spending their final month in the Motor City — including one recent addition.
Tigers RHP Carlos Hernandez is in Final Month with Detroit
Things can change at the flip of a switch in professional sports, and it wouldn't be shocking if veteran reliever Carlos Hernandez's time with the Tigers ended just as quickly as it started.
The Tigers gave Hernandez a fresh start after he was designated for assignment by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 11. The 28-year-old was DFA'd after he went 1-0 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.753 WHIP in his 25 games with the Phillies, ending his time in the City of Brotherly Love after less than three months.
Hernandez was a reliable arm for the Kansas City Royals in 2024, and the Tigers were hoping the clean slate would help him return to that form. Instead, that hasn't been the case. He's struggled with consistency since arriving in Detroit, pitching to a 6.14 ERA in his first six relief outings (7 1/3 innings).
Even though it's a small sample size, it might be safe to say a change in scenery isn't doing Hernandez much good. His performances have been as uninspiring as they were in Philadelphia, and it might be time for the Tigers to pull the plug on this experiment before it goes on any longer. World Series titles can only be one with the most reliable pitching staffs, and the struggling veteran has done little to prove he belongs in Detroit's bullpen for the long run.
Unless he proves to be invaluable before the trade deadline, Hernandez's future in Detroit is far from guaranteed. If the Tigers can upgrade the veteran hurler's roster spot with a more reliable arm in the coming weeks, they must pull the trigger on a deal if it improves their World Series odds.
In other words, Hernandez must step up soon or risk being forced to step aside.