Tigers’ James Outman lands on IL after scary moment vs. Guardians

The Detroit Tigers placed outfielder James Outman on the seven-day concussion injured list before Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians, the team announced. Outfielder Trei Cruz was promoted to the big league ball club in a corresponding move.

Outman, who the Tigers added earlier this season after he began the year with the Minnesota Twins, endured an injury scare on Wednesday after getting hit in the face by a pitch from Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski. With Detroit trailing 6-3 in the 7th inning on Wednesday night, Outman entered the game to pinch-hit and was hit in the face immediately on the first pitch he saw.

The pitch seemed to hit Outman in the chin. Jason Beck of MLB.com shared a video of the incident.

Tigers OF James Outman goes on 7-day concussion IL after he took an Erik Sabrowski fastball off his chin (possibly deflected off his shoulder first) last night. Trei Cruz recalled from Triple-A Toledo. pic.twitter.com/JAPXT6aKDq

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 13, 2026

The Tigers will monitor and provide updates on Outman’s injury status as they are made available.

Outman, 29, has hit .183/.240/.366 across 45 games played with Detroit this season. He appeared in 49 contests with Minnesota before the Twins designated him for assignment earlier in the year, which led to the Tigers claiming him.

The Tigers and Guardians are set to play the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday afternoon. It has been a competitive series up to this point. Detroit earned a 6-4 win on Tuesday before Cleveland answered with a 6-4 victory as well on Wednesday.

Both teams are fighting for a postseason spot — in the AL Central or AL Wild Card — so every game is of the utmost importance without question. First pitch for Thursday’s contest is scheduled for 1:10 PM ET in Detroit.

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