Jahmai Jones of WBC Korean National Team Designated for Assignment by MLB's Detroit

Jahmai Jones, a utility player who served as a key hitter for the Korean national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held earlier this year, is now facing the possibility of being released.
The Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) announced on July 10 (KST) that they have designated Jones for assignment (DFA) and called up catcher Eduardo Valencia.
Detroit recently faced a significant gap in their roster due to the injury of starting catcher Dillon Dingler. To address the need for a catcher, the team decided to part ways with the struggling Jones and call up a backup catcher from the minor leagues.
Jones has suffered through a severe slump this season, batting .137 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 57 games.
He struggled to bounce back, recording a monthly batting average of .091 in 15 games last month.
Following the designation for assignment, Jones can be traded if another team expresses interest. If no team claims him, he will either be sent to the minor leagues or become a free agent.
Jones, whose mother is Korean, has been playing in the big leagues since 2020. In the 2025 season, he performed well, recording a .287 batting average with 7 home runs, 23 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .937.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.