What September call-ups reveal about Detroit Tigers, plus concerns with starters, lefty relievers

The Detroit Tigers lost four of six games on their homestand, dropping back-to-back series to the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox. On "Days of Roar," Evan Petzold and Chris Brown (from "Tigers Minor League Report") evaluate how the postseason panic meter is trending with the Tigers all but officially locked in for October. The Big 2: How does the bullpen hold up without Kyle Finnegan, and do the Tigers need the pre-All-Star Game version of Gleyber Torres to be successful? Nick Pollack, the founder of "Pitcher List," joins the show to talk Tarik Skubal vs. Garrett Crochet in the 2025 American League Cy Young race, the Tigers' pitching situation and individual trends for pitchers. We also discuss Chris Paddack's move to the bullpen, rank our trust in the non-Skubal starters and provide injury updates on several players, including Paul Sewald and Reese Olson. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here

The Detroit Tigers hit a rough stretch on their six-game road trip, including a three-game sweep against the Athletics in West Sacramento. On "Days of Roar," Evan Petzold and Chris Brown (from "Tigers Minor League Report") discuss where the Tigers stand in the postseason picture and evaluate if 96 wins is possible. The Big 2: Do the September call-ups really matter with all the roster shuffling, and is it time to worry about the Tigers' starting rotation beyond Tarik Skubal? Kansas City Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson joins the show to talk about the Royals, including their hunt for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League. We dive into Kyle Finnegan, Tommy Kahnle and the concern about the lack of left-handed specialists in the bullpen. We also touch on injury updates, including Parker Meadows and Paul Sewald. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here

The Detroit Tigers completed a 5-1 record during their six-game homestand at Comerica Park, highlighted by a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros and Riley Greene's 30th home run in a clutch moment against the Kansas City Royals. On this "Days of Roar" episode, Evan Petzold is joined by Chris Brown of "Tigers Minor League Report." We dig into the Big 2: How did the Tigers bounce back from their 1-12 slump in July, and what could the bullpen look like with rehabbing pitchers Alex Cobb and José Urquidy in new roles? Later, Baseball America prospect writer Geoff Pontes joins the show for a deep dive into Tigers No. 1 prospect Kevin McGonigle, whom he compares to Jose Altuve. As for the Tigers in the big leagues, Petzold and Brown tackle more bullpen questions, injury updates on Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling and Paul Sewald, and a 2026 conversation about Vierling. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here

The Detroit Tigers turned in a 5-2 record this week, winning series against the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, with three of the five victories coming by just one run. On "Days of Roar," Evan Petzold and guest co-host Chris Brown from "Tigers Minor League Report" break down what the seven-game road trip means for the American League Central, plus where the Tigers stand in the postseason picture. The Big 2: Should the Tigers promote top prospect Kevin McGonigle in 2025? How are the Tigers managing their below-average bullpen with a series-by-series approach? Dan Hayes, the Twins beat writer for The Athletic, joins the show to discuss the fire sale at the trade deadline, the ownership situation and the long-term outlook. We also take a closer look at the minor leaguers who could help the Tigers down the stretch, including left-handed reliever Drew Sommers, and we evaluate the upside for Troy Melton. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here

On "Days of Roar," Evan Petzold is joined by Chris Castellani from "Chris and Company" to recap the good and the bad from the Detroit Tigers in their recent six-game homestand, finishing with a 3-3 record. Petzold and Castellani evaluate the starting rotation and the bullpen, along with the continued success of Kerry Carpenter and American League Central race as the Cleveland Guardians close the gap on the Tigers. Erie SeaWolves broadcaster Greg Gania — the part-time radio voice of the Tigers — joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including his journey from Erie to Detroit as a play-by-play broadcaster. He also talks about top prospects Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and Josue Briceño at the Double-A level, provides an updated scouting report on fellow top prospect Thayron Liranzo and shares his favorite memories of current Tigers players (including Tarik Skubal) from their SeaWolves days. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here

The Detroit Tigers had a 4-2 record this week, sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks and dropping a series to the Philadelphia Phillies — but the biggest news came off the field: Reese Olson is out for the regular season (and possibly the postseason) with a shoulder injury. Evan Petzold — joined by "Locked On Tigers" host Scott Bentley — take a deep dive into the trade deadline: Did Scott Harris make the right call by prioritizing quantity over quality? And is he making a mistake by not capitalizing on the Tarik Skubal window? Washington Nationals beat writer Andrew Golden, who works for the Washington Post, joins "Days of Roar" to introduce Tigers fans to new reliever Kyle Finnegan, whom the Tigers acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline. After talking to Golden, Petzold and Bentley debate: Who gets the ball in the biggest moment — Finnegan, Will Vest or Tommy Kahnle? We also discuss Reese Olson's injury history and Troy Melton's move to the bullpen. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here 

Detroit Tigers beat writer Evan Petzold recaps the 2025 MLB trade deadline, including audio from the post-trade press conference with Tigers president of baseball of baseball operations Scott Harris. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here 

The Detroit Tigers snapped another six-game losing streak with a 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on July 27, thanks to a three-run home run by Gleyber Torres. The Tigers have lost 12 of their last 14 games, but they still have an eight-game lead in the American League Central. Tigers beat writer Evan Petzold evaluates the losing stretch on Days of Roar, joined by Chris Castellani of Chris and Company. Petzold and Castellani discuss their panic meter, both for winning the AL Central and the World Series. They are also looking ahead to the trade deadline, scheduled for 6 p.m. July 31. What is the No. 1 priority for the Tigers? How can the Tigers acquire slugger Eugenio Suárez? How much help does the bullpen really need? Bullpen expert Greg Jewett joins Days of Roar to dig deeper into the reliever market at the trade deadline. He believes the Tigers could acquire popular closers David Bednar (Pittsburgh Pirates), Ryan Helsley (St. Louis Cardinals) and Raisel Iglesias (Atlanta Braves), but he also mentions several under-the-radar trade candidates for the Tigers within the next few days. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here 

The Detroit Tigers finally snapped their season-worst six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers on July 20, powered by Tarik Skubal, Matt Vierling and Will Vest. Despite the skid, the Tigers became the first MLB team to reach 60 wins, with a 60-40 record. Tigers beat writer Evan Petzold breaks it all down on Days of Roar, including what happened at the All-Star Game, the latest on Kerry Carpenter's injury and why prospect Troy Melton is coming soon.We have two guests on this week's pod: former MLB general manager Jim Duquette from MLB Network Radio and MLB draft expert Tyler Jennings from Just Baseball.Duquette joins to assess the Tigers with 10 days until the July 31 trade deadline, including bullpen upgrades, Eugenio Suárez trade rumors, whether the front office should part with a top-100 prospect and what to do about the ticking Tarik Skubal clock. Meanwhile, Jennings analyzes the Tigers' Day 2 picks from Rounds 4-20 in the 2025 MLB Draft, including high school pitcher River Hamilton. Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here 

The Detroit Tigers enter the All-Star break with MLB's best record — but a bullpen problem looms large. On this week's episode of Days of Roar, Tigers beat writer Evan Petzold breaks down Detroit's first-half performance, including a season-worse sweep by the Seattle Mariners. If the Tigers want to win the World Series, adding an elite swing-and-miss reliever is essential. We discuss the big names on the trade market. We also take a deep dive into the Tigers' high-risk, high-upside picks on Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft with draft expert Tyler Jennings from Just Baseball. Scott Bentley, the host of the Locked On Tigers podcast, returns to Days of Roar to discuss the top four draft picks, as well as Zach McKinstry and Casey Mize joining the All-Star Game as replacement players.  Plus: Is Riley Greene already the third-best position player in the American League? Follow Evan on X/Twitter here.  Read Evan's most recent work here