Ibanez will start in left field and bat second in Thursday's game against the Cubs.
With a southpaw (Justin Steele) on the hill for the Cubs, the Tigers are giving three of their lefty-hitting regulars (Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Trey Sweeney) the afternoon off while opening up a prominent spot in the lineup for Ibanez. The 31-year-old utility man should remain a fixture in the lineup versus lefties for the rest of the season, as he's produced a. 958 OPS in those matchups so far in 2024.