Dingler (thumb) will serve as the designated hitter and bat third during Saturday's game against the Phillies.
Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Dingler's availability for the rest of the series was uncertain due to his injured right thumb, but he's been cleared to work as the DH and could return behind the plate in Sunday's first-half finale, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Dingler had gone 9-for-32 (.281) with two RBI and six runs scored in his last eight games before getting injured.
Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Eduardo Valencia will start at catcher Saturday against the Phillies, and it's uncertain if Dingler (thumb) will play in Sunday's series finale, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Dingler is not in the lineup for Friday's series opener against Philadelphia, as Jake Rogers is doing the catching and batting ninth. Valencia will catch Saturday, suggesting Dingler has already been ruled out for that game. Hinch said Dingler is progressing with his bruised thumb, but he remains day-to-day. It's possible Dingler will remain sidelined through the All-Star break.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Day-to-day, not in lineup Thursday
Rotowire
Dingler (thumb) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Dingler had to exit Wednesday's game after a foul tip caught him in the right thumb. X-rays came back clean, and Dingler said Thursday that he's feeling "10 times better" a day after the injury, per Logan Reever of Detroit SportsNet. Dingler will avoid the 10-day injured list and is considered day-to-day as he waits for the swelling in his thumb to subside. Jake Rogers is catching for the Tigers on Thursday, and Eduardo Valencia has been called up for depth behind the plate.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Leaves Wednesday's game
Rotowire
Dingler was removed from Wednesday's game against the Athletics due to an apparent right thumb injury, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Dingler took a foul tip off his right thumb in the first inning. He's gone back to the clubhouse to undergo more tests on his injury, and the Tigers should have an update on Dingler during or shortly after Wednesday's game. Jake Rogers will take over at catcher for the rest of the contest in Dingler's absence.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Getting rest Saturday
Rotowire
Dingler isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Astros.
Dingler will get a day off after going 2-for-7 with a homer and two RBI through the first two games of the series. Jake Rogers will fill in for him behind the plate and bat ninth.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Homers again in loss
Rotowire
Dingler went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run and two strikeouts in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Astros.
Dingler entered the ninth inning having not put the ball in play but quickly changed that, lacing the first pitch from Enyel De Los Santos over the center-field wall for his 19th home run of the season. The Detroit catcher now has three long balls across his last six games and eight homers in 21 contests this month. The 19 deep flies overall is a career high for Dingler, who had 13 home runs in 126 regular-season games last year.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Paces offense again Tuesday
Rotowire
Dingler went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Yankees.
Dingler had three of Detroit's eight hits as a team as he continued to lead the Tigers' offensive attack. The catcher now has 10 multi-hit efforts across 19 games this month, and he's batting a scorching .385 overall in June with seven home runs and 22 RBI. Dingler is showing no signs of slowing down in what's shaping up as a true breakout campaign for the 27-year-old.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Three more hits in win
Rotowire
Dingler went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in Friday's 4-3 win over the White Sox.
Dingler continued his scorching-hot June with another multi-hit performance, his sixth in his last 10 games. In 15 contests overall this month, the Detroit backstop is slashing .377/.403/.738 with five home runs, 15 runs scored and 17 RBI. The strong start to the season has established Dingler as one of the top catchers for fantasy leagues.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Keeps rolling Monday
Rotowire
Dingler went 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored in Monday's 9-3 win over the Astros.
Dingler is known more for his home run power than his speed, but he's now managed to record a triple in consecutive games. The Detroit catcher is having an outstanding season with 16 long balls, 36 runs scored, 50 RBI and an .868 OPS across 65 contests. At this rate, Dingler seems headed for an All-Star Game appearance next month, and he's been a tremendous fantasy asset so far.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Triples, drives in run Saturday
Rotowire
Dingler went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Guardians.
Dingler plated Detroit's first and only run of the contest on a first-inning single, then recorded his first triple of the season later in the game. The catcher has been providing plenty of extra-base hits lately with a triple, four doubles, six home runs and a 1.112 OPS across his last 15 games. Dingler could be ticketed for his first All-Star appearance next month, as he's been one of the best offensive backstops in the majors this year.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Launches two-run homer
Rotowire
Dingler went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and two strikeouts in Friday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the White Sox.
Dingler went yard in the third inning off Erick Fedde, Dingler's third in his last eight games. Dingler looks set to have a career-best season from a power perspective in 2026. He already has 11 homers with 34 RBI and a .787 OPS in 52 games this season, compared to the 13 homers, 57 RBI and .725 OPS he posted across 126 regular-season games in 2025.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Pops homer in nightcap
Rotowire
Dingler went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in a 4-1 win over the Orioles in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.
Dingler went 0-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored in the day game. He's hit safely in just two of his last seven contests, but he has two homers in that span while going 3-for-26 (.115). On the year, the catcher is slashing .231/.311/.462 with 10 homers, 31 RBI, 22 runs scored, no stolen bases and 10 doubles over 48 games.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Remains productive in loss
Rotowire
Dingler went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 9-4 loss to the Mets.
Dingler extended his hitting streak to four games, and he's batting .313 with two home runs during the stretch. Overall, the Detroit catcher is now up to eight long balls for the season, which puts him on pace to fly past last year's career-high total of 13 homers in 126 regular-season games. Dingler can be a bit streaky at the plate, but he's locked into a starting role and is producing in the power department for fantasy managers.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Two more hits Wednesday
Rotowire
Dingler went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Mets.
A day after slugging his seventh home run of the season, Dingler tallied two more hits to extend his hitting streak to three games. It's a small step in the right direction for the catcher, who was batting .302 after a four-hit effort back on April 19. Since then, Dingler is hitting just .186 across 18 games, but he's in no real danger of losing his starting gig to Jake Rogers and his .478 OPS.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Hits key home run in win
Rotowire
Dingler went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Rangers.
Dingler teed off with two out and two on in the first inning to stake Detroit to a 3-0 lead, giving the team all the offense it would need in the win. The catcher has cooled off some after a hot start, as he's batting just .184 over his last 10 games compared to .302 through the first 19 games of the year. Dingler's overall stat line still looks good with an .825 OPS, six home runs and 23 RBI across 29 contests.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Sitting out Thursday
Rotowire
Dingler is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Atlanta.
Dingler started at catcher in the first two games of the series, so he'll get a breather for Thursday's matinee. Jake Rogers is behind the dish and batting ninth as the Tigers try to avoid the sweep.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Two hits in loss to Atlanta
Rotowire
Dingler went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Atlanta.
The two-hit night snapped a 1-for-21 skid at the plate for Dingler, as he rapped his fifth double of the season in the eighth inning. The 27-year-old is slashing .253/.337/.483 with five home runs, 19 RBI, 11 runs scored and a 7:16 BB:K across 100 plate appearances. His peripheral numbers suggest he should be experiencing even more success at the plate, as Dingler is in the 92nd percentile or better in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, barrel rate and hard-hit percentage. He's also been one of the best defensive catchers this season.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Idle Saturday
Rotowire
Dingler is not in the Tigers' starting lineup against the Red Sox on Saturday.
Dingler will take a breather after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in Friday's extra-inning loss to Boston. Jake Rogers will start behind home plate and bat ninth while catching pitches from Tarik Skubal.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Getting breather Thursday
Rotowire
Dingler is absent from the lineup for Thursday's tilt in Minnesota.
It's a day game Thursday as the Twins and Tigers finish off a four-game series, so Dingler will get some rest. Jake Rogers is doing the catching and batting ninth as Detroit attempts to avoid the sweep.
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Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Hits first spring home run
Rotowire
Dingler went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.
After his spring training debut was delayed due to arthroscopic right elbow surgery in the offseason, Dingler got off to a slow start at the plate. However, the catcher has been a bit better lately, going 4-for-12 with the homer over his last four Grapefruit League contests. Dingler appears to be rounding into form for the start of the regular season, and he'll serve as Detroit's top backstop once again in 2026.
