The Detroit Tigers made another roster move on Friday, signing infielder Zack Short to a Major League contract and optioning Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo. Short, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, cleared waivers and chose free agency. If he had accepted the Tigers' assignment to Toledo, he couldn't have been called up unless replacing an injured player—which isn't the case here.

So why bring him back? It's all about matchups and defense. The Tigers are expecting to face two left-handed pitchers against the Kansas City Royals this weekend, and they wanted an extra right-handed bat. More importantly, they needed Short's defensive versatility, especially after second baseman Gleyber Torres landed on the injured list with an oblique strain. Short started at shortstop Friday, with Kevin McGonigle at third and Hao-Yu Lee at second against lefty Kris Bubic.

In other injury updates, right-hander Casey Mize threw a bullpen in Lakeland on Friday, and manager AJ Hinch called it "his best bullpen to date." Hinch even left the door open that Mize might not need any rehab starts. "He hasn't been out as long," Hinch said. "His volume is still built up. I would like him to see some hitters, whether that's a sim game or a rehab game."

As for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, he's dealing with a hip issue and will throw a two-inning simulated game Saturday in Kansas City, with another possible sim game on Thursday. "Justin has been out a long time (since April 1)," Hinch noted. "I would fully expect him to have to do multiple things before getting into a Major League game."

Finally, right-hander Will Vest received a cortisone injection Friday for forearm inflammation and is expected to resume his throwing program soon. "That's great news," Hinch said. "We were able to get it diagnosed and treated, and he can start baseball activity soon."