Detroit Tigers Cut Ties With Disappointing Pitcher

The Detroit Tigers executed a sudden roster move on Tuesday by releasing right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens amid their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The transaction appeared on the official minor league log, noting that the organization’s Double-A Erie SeaWolves had let the 25-year-old go.

Detroit had already taken the first game of the set 8-5, with strong outings from Framber Valdez and Kenley Jansen, before the announcement surfaced ahead of the second contest scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Eastern.

Owens entered professional baseball when the Atlanta Braves chose him in the 13th round of the 2019 draft. He signed that June and spent nearly five seasons working his way through Atlanta’s system.

In late January 2024, the Braves sent him to the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder J.P. Martinez. His stay in Texas lasted only half a year; on July 28 the Rangers packaged him with Liam Hicks and shipped both to Detroit for catcher Carson Kelly.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound hurler has logged 185 minor-league appearances, covering 299.1 innings. Across that span he has struck out 315 batters, posted a 4.27 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, and finished with a 15-22 record, 12 holds and 23 saves.

He reached the majors on May 1, 2025, when he appeared in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, a moment captured in photographs that still circulate among Tigers fans.

The timing of the release coincides with a tense stretch in Detroit’s season.

The Tigers sit in a three-way tie with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers for the last American League Wild Card berth. Minnesota and Toronto lurk just half a game behind, while the Chicago White Sox lead the AL Central by 4.5 games. Cleveland remains within striking distance as well. Only Kansas City has been mathematically eliminated from catching Detroit.

After wrapping up the Pirates series, the Tigers will host the Royals, then travel to face Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out August.

Those remaining games will demand consistent pitching and timely hitting if Detroit hopes to keep its playoff hopes intact. Owens’s departure thins an already stretched bullpen, yet it also opens a roster spot that the club can fill with a fresh arm as the calendar turns toward September.

Whether the move proves decisive remains to be seen on the field.