The Detroit Tigers are taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series, and before game two of the series, they have made a roster move with a 36-year-old MLB player.
Per multiple reports, the Tigers have selected the contract of Burch Smith and optioned Emmanuel De Jesus. Smith last pitched in MLB in 2024 and logged 26+ innings with the Marlins and Orioles.
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Tigers Select Burch Smith to MLB Contract
GettySANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – MARCH 04: Burch Smith #65 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the first inning of an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic at Estadio Quisqueya on March 04, 2026 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The 36-year-old righty out of San Antonio, Tx missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons while playing overseas, but spent several years before that with several MLB teams in his ‘six’-year career.
Burch Smith made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres in 2013, and posted an ugly 6.44 ERA over 30+ innings. He then takes a four-year hiatus (per BaseballReference.com page), comes back in 2018 with the Kansas City Royals, and logs 78 innings, but pitches to an uglier 6.92 ERA over 16 starts.
Over 247.1 innings in his MLB career, Burch Smith has a 5.79 ERA and 230 strikeouts. Unclear what the Detroit Tigers will be trying to get out of him, but he’s now on the official roster until further announcement.
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More On Burch Smith
BRADENTON, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 18: Burch Smith #54 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo during the 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates Photo day at Pirate City on February 18, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Burch Smith is making his return to Major League Baseball.
In 56.1 innings in 2024, Smith held a 4.95 ERA with both the Marlins and Orioles.
MLBTradeRumors.com’s Darragh McDonald recently detailed Smith’s journey back to the majors:
“Smith, 36, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the winter. He has been with Triple-A Toledo to begin the season and has been off to a hot start. Through eight appearances and ten innings, he has allowed just two earned runs via four hits, no walks and one hit batter while striking out 16. He has been throwing his changeup 12.6% of the time in that small sample, after only using that pitch about 1-3% of the time in recent years.”
The 36-year-old will potentially get to face big league hitters once again.
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