New arrival leads Tigers to victory with first MLB home run

Gage Workman hit his first major league home run in his first at-bat as a Detroit Tiger, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday night at Kauffman Stadium. The victory staved off a sweep and snapped the Detroit’s five-game losing streak. The Tigers (19-22) and Royals (19-22) are now tied for third place in the American League Central, a division in which no team is above .

500. Workman’s contract was selected from Triple-A Toledo prior to the game to replace injured outfielder Kerry Carpenter. He entered in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter in a 3-3 game and drove a slider from reliever Nick Mears just inside the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer.

Workman, whose middle name is “Tater,” had not hit a tater in 17 career MLB plate appearances in 2024 with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. FIRST @MLB HOME RUN FOR GAGE WORKMAN! pic.

twitter. com/g0t80Uuvtk — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 11, 2026 That lead was enough for a bullpen game ably handled by six Tigers pitchers. Enmanuel De Jesus pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.