Guardians knock Kenta Maeda out of Tigers' rotation

After failing to pitch deep into a game for the second time against the Cleveland Guardians this season, the Detroit Tigers have decided to remove Kenta Maeda from their starting rotation and move him to their bullpen. Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch has stated this new role for Maeda will be "for the foreseeable future", according to a report from MLive's Evan Woodberry.

Woodberry would also note that Detroit does not need a fifth starter until after the All-Star break, so there is a scenario that sees this being somewhat of a temporary measure for the Tigers as they navigate the next couple of weeks.

Perhaps going to the bullpen will help Maeda fix a few things. Maeda is currently in the midst of his worst season in the majors, with a 7.26 ERA and 1.584 WHIP in 16 games (65.2 innings). Barely averaging 4 innings per appearance is not acceptable for a starter, so this move should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Maeda just got knocked around by the Guardians on Tuesday, giving up six runs on seven hits, including two home runs in just 2.2 innings. This was not the first time that Guardians hitters were able to force an early exit for Maeda. Back in May, Cleveland scored seven runs on five hits, one of which was a home run, in 2 innings against Maeda before he was relieved of his duties. The Guardians have not been fooled by Maeda at all this season and that makes it hard to trust him against a divisional opponent.

As fun as it is to say this all due to Cleveland having his number, Maeda's removal from the starting rotation was not entirely the work of the Guardians. Maeda was roughed up for nine runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings against the Minnesota Twins last Thursday, but it appears that his most recent start against Cleveland was the final straw for the 36-year-old veteran. Pitching poorly in consecutive games against American League Central opponents is no way to live, especially for a team like Detroit that is doing its best to remain relevant as the calendar turns over to July.