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.
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Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee: Managing back injury
Rotowire
Lee was placed on Double-A Erie's 7-day injured list Tuesday due to lumbar spine inflammation, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The 21-year-old was acquired from the Phillies in the Michael Lorenzen trade last summer and is one of the Tigers' top prospects. Lee has been productive at Double-A this season and has a .298/.363/.488 slash line with 12 home runs and 16 steals in 87 games. Depending on how long he's sidelined by the back issue, Lee could get a look with Triple-A Toledo before the end of the campaign.
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Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee: Headed to Detroit for Lorenzen
Rotowire
Lee was traded from the Phillies to the Tigers on Tuesday in exchange for Michael Lorenzen, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Lee, a 20-year-old second baseman from Taiwan, is mostly known for his advanced hit tool. He had a .283/.372/.401 slash line with a 10.2 percent walk rate and an 18.6 percent strikeout rate in 285 plate appearances for High-A Jersey Shore. Lee's power and speed lag behind his hit tool, as he has a .117 ISO and five home runs in 64 games this year, and, despite back-to-back seasons with double-digit steals, most public scouting reports have him pegged as a 50-grade runner.
