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Báez walloped a no-doubter to left field off Nationals starter DJ Herz, which traveled 426 feet, according to Statcast. It was his third big fly of the season. The 33-year-old veteran has lost playing time to some of the younger alternatives on Detroit’s roster over the last few weeks and he continues to fade from fantasy relevance, even in deeper leagues.

The 33-year-old has been terrific since returning from the injured list, slashing .333/.362/.378 with eight RBI in 47 plate appearances in his first 11 games while playing stellar defense at several positions. They’ll get him a breather in this one though, even with an opposing left-hander starting on the hill in Sean Newcomb.

Báez suffered a high ankle sprain at the end of April, so he has spent the vast majority of the season on the injured list. He’ll be off the injured list and right into the lineup, playing center field and batting ninth against the Orioles. The 33-year-old has a .256/.280/.397 slash line in 82 plate appearances this season.

He’ll then get a day off on Friday and if all is well, he’ll have his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Toledo for the remainder of the weekend. Báez has been shelved since late April due to a high-grade ankle sprain but is finally making tangible strides toward a return. Barring any setbacks, it’s possible that he rejoins the Tigers before the end of July.

Báez will head to Low-A Lakeland to kick off his rehab assignment. He’ll likely need a couple weeks to get back up to speed as he works his way back from a high-grade ankle sprain that put him on the injured list back in late April.

It sounds like the 33-year-old defensive wizard is finally making progress in his recovery from a high-grade ankle sprain that has had him sidelined since the end of April. For the first time it sounds like there’s optimism that he could join the Tigers at some point during the second half of the season.

The 33-year-old has struggled to make progress in his recovery from a high-grade ankle sprain that has shelved him since the end of April. He’s not expected to return until after the All-Star break, so this move doesn’t alter his timeline at all.

It technically won’t qualify as a setback, but Báez wasn’t progressing as initially hoped from a high-grade ankle sprain. He received the recommendation to take some time off during a visit with a specialist last week. It sounds like he’s going to be out until after next month’s All-Star break based on his current trajectory.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Báez will receive an additional medical opinion on his injured right ankle, which isn’t healing as quickly as originally hoped. The 33-year-old hit the shelf with a high-grade ankle sprain back on April 29. The big concern here is that Báez will require ankle surgery, which would require an extended absence. There should be an update on his status and next steps at some point later this week.

Báez is on the injured list with a right ankle sprain, so while it’s nice to see him hitting, the bigger hurdle to overcome is his running progressions. As of now, there is still no timeline for his return.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Báez is dealing with a high-grade ankle sprain and didn’t offer a definitive return timetable. It’s an extremely encouraging diagnosis after Báez appeared to suffer a serious right leg injury during Tuesday’s game against the Braves on an awkward slide into first base while trying to avoid a tag. The 33-year-old underwent an MRI that didn’t reveal any structural damage, but is still going to miss at least a couple weeks, if not longer. It’ll be Wenceel Pérez taking over in center field during his absence. There’s a chance the Tigers decide to bring up top prospect Max Clark at some point in the near future if they decide he’s finally ready.

“That one looked scary,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters after Báez was carted off the field during Tuesday’s game against the Braves following an awkward feet-first slide into first base attempting to avoid a tag. The fact that there isn’t an immediate update from the club following the contest suggests that Báez is probably dealing with a serious injury. There should be some clarity on his status at some point soon. Any sort of extended absence would likely open the door for top prospect Max Clark to take over in center field.

This didn’t look good. Báez was unable to put any weight on his right leg and had to be carted off the field following an awkward slide into first base that left him on the ground in serious pain. He was 0-for-2 before leaving the contest. The major development here is that any sort of extended absence would leave the door open for top prospect Max Clark to take over as Detroit’s primary center fielder. There should be an update on his status shortly.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine day of rest for the versatile 33-year-old. Báez is off to a decent start offensively in 2026, slashing .267/.291/.413 with a pair of homers, six RBI and one stolen base in his first 79 plate appearances. Matt Vierling will start in his place in center field and bat seventh against Rhett Lowder and the Reds on Sunday.

Báez’s solo home run here represented half of the total runs scored and gave Tigers’ starter Keider Montero some much needed breathing room as he worked on a gem. In classic Báez fashion, he smacked a sweeper from Chris Paddack – that was both off the plate and below the zone – while lunging and still found a way to pull it over the left field fence. That’s just Javy being Javy. He’s back in a starting role for the Tigers and has made good on their faith in him. To this point, he’s started 10 of their 14 games so far. Nine have come at shortstop, this was his first in center field, and he has a .324 batting average that certainly won’t last very long.

Báez has come in at .294/.294/.441 with one homer and two steals in 34 plate appearances this spring. It’ll go down as his best spring performance since 2020, as he had hit between .143 and .206 in each of the previous five springs.

Báez is presumably day-to-day. It’ll be top prospect Max Clark taking over in center field for Tuesday night’s international affair.

Báez is 4-for-7 with a steal in the early going. He could open up as Detroit’s primary shortstop or in more of a job share with Zach McKinstry, depending on how much the Tigers want McKinstry playing elsewhere. That’s assuming top prospect Kevin McGonigle doesn’t just up and overtake them both.

Báez received an unannounced two-year ban from international play that expires in April. This has nothing to do with his MLB status, as recreational marijuana usage isn’t banned by the league. Báez was hoping to suit up for Puerto Rico for the third time this year.

Riley Greene and Gleyber Torres also went deep for the Tigers. Báez pulled a homer just foul prior his RBI single in the fifth. He then came back with a two-run blast the following inning, as the Tigers overcame a 3-0 deficit by scoring seven runs between the fifth and sixth. The homer was Báez’s first in the postseason since a two-homer NLCS Game 4 in 2017. He had been limited to one RBI through six games this October. With the Tigers’ win, the series will return to Seattle for a decisive Game 5 on Friday. Tarik Skubal will start with the Tigers, while the Mariners could turn to either George Kirby or Luis Castillo.