The Detroit Tigers added bullpen experience on Monday, signing right-hander Tyler Kinley to a major-league contract and putting him on the active roster for the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kinley will wear No. 55 and is available immediately. To clear space, Detroit optioned right-hander Ty Madden to Triple-A Toledo and designated Ricky Vanasco for assignment.
The 35-year-old arrives after the Atlanta Braves designated him for assignment on Aug. 18 and released him three days later.
With Atlanta this season he posted a 6-5 record, 4.01 ERA, 42 strikeouts and 20 walks in 42 2/3 innings over 49 appearances. Advanced metrics were less kind: a 5.41 FIP suggested some good fortune in his results.
Manager A.J. Hinch cited Kinley’s slider and veteran presence as the draw, particularly against right-handed hitters. The Tigers had previously shown interest when Kinley was a free agent. Detroit sits at 61-69 and faces a Rays lineup featuring right-handed slugger Junior Caminero.
Kinley’s peak form remains recent. After the Braves acquired him from the Colorado Rockies at the 2025 trade deadline, he went 5-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 25 innings. Atlanta re-signed him in January to a one-year deal worth $3 million plus a 2027 club option. A second-half slump this year ended that stay.
Over nine MLB seasons with the Twins, Marlins, Rockies and Braves, Kinley is 25-19 with a 4.67 ERA in 391 relief appearances and 384 strikeouts.
The 6-foot-4 righty from Plantation, Florida, was a 16th-round pick by Miami in 2013 out of Barry University.
The move is low-risk financially. Atlanta remains responsible for most of Kinley’s remaining 2026 salary; Detroit pays only the prorated major-league minimum for time on the roster.
For a Tigers club looking to stabilize a bullpen and stay relevant in a crowded wild-card picture, Kinley is a cheap, experienced arm with a history of missing bats when his slider is sharp.
Whether he can recapture last year’s form in Detroit will be decided over the final five weeks. Hinch plans to use him in middle relief against right-handed hitters first.
For a veteran seeking a late-season reset and a 2027 opportunity, Comerica Park offers a new stage.
