One of the main objectives for the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline was to bolster their bullpen. Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero were brought to Detroit in a pair of deals but fans wondered if president of baseball operations Scott Harris did enough to maintain their lead in the American League Central and make a deep run into October.
The answer will remain unknown for a few months but that gives Harris plenty of time to find an ace in the hole. One potential solution came out of the blue on Wednesday afternoon and it could give Detroit the extra arm needed to turn a good team into a championship-caliber one.
Sawyer Gipson-Long has been activated from his rehab assignment, joining the #Tigers. Codi Heuer optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 13, 2025
Tigers Move Sawyer Gipson-Long to Bullpen After Return From Injury
Tigers pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long was supposed to throw his fifth and final rehab start at Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday but Detroit changed its plans and called him up in time for the series finale against the Chicago White Sox. The righthander had made five appearances this season, allowing a 4.70 ERA over 23 innings but the Tigers opted to use him out of the bullpen in the 1-0 victory.
Part of the decision came from availability. With deadline acquisitions Chris Paddack and Charlie Morton occupying the bottom two spots in the rotation, Gipson-Long’s only path to the big leagues was working out of the bullpen. The Tigers also didn’t have many options available to pitch in Wednesday’s finale with Rafael Montero being the only member of the bullpen that didn’t pitch in the first two games against the White Sox.
But it also could be an audition for what Gipson-Long could do after his return from neck spasms. A sixth-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 2019 draft, Gipson-Long was traded to the Tigers in exchange for reliever Michael Fulmer in a trade in July 2022. He made his major league debut the following summer, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings for the Tigers but he spent all of last year rehabbing from Tommy John and left hip surgery.
Gipson-Long hasn’t been dominant in his return but he could at least provide depth down the stretch. On Wednesday, it meant tossing a pair of shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out two batters. It may also mean another trip to Toledo soon, but having him in the organization could be an important development if Detroit needs him.
“Whatever they need me to do,” Gipson-Long said via Petzold. “If they need me in the bullpen, if I need to just eat innings, if I need to start, whatever I got to do to help the team win, I’ll do it. I feel comfortable doing whatever.”