The Tigers selected Lee's contract from Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Lee was one of five players added for Rule 5 protection. While Lee is not exactly an imposing presence in the batter's box at 5-foot-9, he has displayed admirable plate skills and enough power and speed to project as a major-league prospect. The infielder spent his age-22 season at Toledo, slashing .243/.342/.406 with 14 homers and 22 steals across 579 plate appearances.
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Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee: Seeing reps at third
Rotowire
Lee, who has primarily focused on second base in the minors, has also been seeing some time at third in the early stages of camp, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
The Tigers are seemingly working on increasing Lee's positional flexibility, which could expedite his journey to the majors. Third base has some uncertainty in Detroit, as utility man Matt Vierling and youngster Jace Jung are currently the top options. Neither player has the role locked down full time, however, which could open the door for Lee down the road. The 22-year-old slashed .298/.363/.488 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 87 regular-season games for Double-A Erie last season. He's likely to begin the year with Triple-A Toledo and is not yet on the 40-man roster.
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Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee: Invited to spring training
Rotowire
Lee will participate in spring training with the Tigers as a non-roster invitee, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Lee came to Detroit in the Michael Lorenzen trade last summer and is one of the Tigers' top prospects. The 22-year-old infielder played well for Double-A Erie last year following the trade, slashing .298/.363/.488 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 87 regular-season games. Lee could push his way up to Triple-A for the first time in 2025 and may not be too far off from making his MLB debut if he continues to impress in the minors.
