Lough, 31, joined the Tigers on a minors deal over the winter but failed to crack the Opening Day roster. He had struggled to a .169/.210/.203 batting line over 63 Triple-A plate appearances, leading to his release.

While he has never been an impactful hitter, the southpaw-swinging Lough has shown more in the past. In over two thousand trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors, he has slashed .287/.338/.427 with 34 home runs.

Seeing action over each of the past five MLB campaigns, Lough hasn’t quite produced enough with the bat to hold down a steady job. All told, he owns a .254/.300/.371 batting line with 13 long balls through 820 big league plate appearances. But he has typically graded out as a plus defender in the corners and has also seen fairly frequent action in center, making him a flexible option.

For the Indians, Lough represents a depth piece as the club continues to develop its outfield mix. Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley are both hitting well, but the rest of the group is in some flux. Top prospect Bradley Zimmer has shown talent through six games, but he’s also striking out at a prodigious (42.1%) rate. Daniel Robertson is currently up with three other outfielders — Abraham Almonte, Brandon Guyer, and Austin Jackson — shelved on the 10-day DL.

Lough, 31, spent last year with the Phillies and Marlins organizations. All 79 of his major league plate appearances came with Philadelphia, which designated him for assignment June 2 after he hit .239/.342/.313 there and .270/.331/.365 in 139 PAs with its Triple-A affiliate. Lough also struggled with Miami’s Triple-A club, albeit over a mere 32 PAs, with a .200/.226/.267 line.

In 820 trips to the plate with the Royals, Orioles and Phillies, the lefty-swinging Lough has batted .254/.300/.371 while garnering time at all three outfield spots. Detroit has two proven corner outfielders in Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez, but its only center field options – Tyler Collins, Mikie Mahtook, JaCoby Jones and Anthony Gose – haven’t established themselves. Neither has corner outfield reserve Steven Moya, so Lough could perhaps find his way to the Tigers’ bench at some point this year.

Lough, 30, had been with the Phillies this year but was recently given his release. Over 79 plate appearances at the major league level, he compiled only a .239/.342/.313 batting line, though he did manage to accumulate 9 walks against only 8 strikeouts. The numbers haven’t been all that much more promising at Triple-A, where Lough carries a .270/.329/.369 batting line in his 156 plate appearances — including four games worth of action in the Miami organization.

Still, the Fish are likely not planning to ask much of Lough if and when he makes it to the majors. He has typically rated as a quality defender and baserunner, and might well add some value in a limited role once rosters expand in just a few days.

Lough, 30, inked a minor league contract with the Phils this offseason, and while he didn’t make the team out of Spring Training, he had his contract selected to the big league roster in mid-April Since April 18, Lough has appeared in 30 games for Philadelphia, batting .239/.342/.313 in 79 plate appearances. He’s long graded out as a defensively sound corner outfielder, and that was again the case in this season’s limited sample of innings.

The Phillies will have 10 days to trade, release or outright Lough, although if he clears outright waivers he’d have the option to reject an assignment to the minors in favor of free agency due to the fact that he’s been outrighted in the past. Lough is a career .254/.300/.371 hitter whose best seasons came in 2013-14 while serving as a platoon outfielder for the Royals and Orioles. He batted a combined .272/.310/.403 during that time, with the vast majority of his at-bats coming against right-handed pitching.

• The Phillies announced on Monday that they’ve optioned outfielder Cedric Hunter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and selected the contract of veteran outfielder David Lough. The 30-year-old Lough will be added to a Phillies outfield mix that also features Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel, Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Darin Ruf (though Ruf has seen just nine innings in left field). Lough hit .280/.308/.320 in his brief time at Triple-A this year and is a lifetime .255/.295/.377 hitter in 741 big league plate appearances. He struggles against lefties but has shown solid ability versus right-handed pitching in his career and also draws praise for his outfield defense.
•  The Blue Jays have released veteran catcher Humberto Quintero from their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, per a club announcement. The 36-year-old Quintero was enjoying a productive start to the season, having gone 4-for-15 with three doubles for the Bisons. His last extended stint in the Majors came in 2013 when he hit .237/.275/.366 in 140 plate appearances between the Mariners and Phillies. Quintero is a career .234/.267/.327 in 1423 Major League plate appearances.
• Infielder Steve Lombardozzi has signed a contract with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced. The 27-year-old Lombardozzi, who went to high school in Maryland, has spent parts of the past five seasons in the Major Leagues, splitting that time between the Nationals, Orioles and Pirates. A second-generation big leaguer, Lombardozzi is a career .263/.294/.336 hitter in 840 MLB PAs and has played second base, shortstop, third base and left field at the Major League level. He’ll look to use the Atlantic League as a launching point back into affiliated ball, as so many players before him have done.

Here’s more from the National League:

• Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano is back to full strength after the team scratched him from his Wednesday start with a tight right hamstring, Adam Berry of MLB.com relays. Liriano, who threw a bullpen session Saturday, expects to start Tuesday in San Diego. “Everything feels normal,” Liriano said. “Ready to go on Tuesday. Everything went well today.” That’s welcome news for the Pirates, whose starting rotation isn’t particularly imposing on paper aside from Gerrit Cole and Liriano. In 11 innings this year, Liriano has posted a stellar 2.45 ERA, but his 7.36 BB/9 is unsightly and nearly twice his career number of 3.83.
• After the Cubs activated him from the 15-day disabled list Friday, utilityman Javier Baez made his 2016 debut Saturday and went 2 for 4 with a double while giving veteran Ben Zobrist a breather at second base. Going forward, the Cubs hope to start Baez two or three times per week at various positions as they try to develop the 23-year-old, manager Joe Maddon said (via Cody Stavenhagen of MLB.com). “He’s got a high-maintenance swing and he’s young, so he needs to continue to get at-bats,” stated Maddon. “That’s the difficult part about all of this … to nurture him along right now along with a team that has a chance to do something really special this year.” After a poor 52-game showing at the plate with the Cubs in 2014 (.169/.227/.324), the former top-tier prospect improved last season to the tune of a respectable .289/.325/.408 line in 28 contests.
• Imminent changes could be coming to the Phillies’ outfield, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “You can’t get around it. It’s not good,” manager Pete Mackanin said in regards to the league-worst .299 OPS Phillies left fielders have compiled and the .454 OPS their right fielders have posted. “In the short term, if we don’t show improvement, we’ll probably make a change,” Mackanin added. The Phillies did make a change Saturday when they put first baseman Darin Ruf in left, but the club doesn’t see him as a solution because of defensive concerns. That could open the door for at least one of Will Venable or David Lough, both of whom are in Triple-A. Venable has a May 1 opt-out in his contract if he isn’t on the Phillies’ big league roster by then. While the Phillies are considering calling up those two, prospect Nick Williams needs more time to develop and is not a candidate for a promotion, according to Mackanin.

Lough, who turned 30 last week, has seen action in parts of four big league seasons — 2012-13 with the Royals and 2014-15 with the Orioles. This past season was, unequivocally, a struggle for the left-handed-hitting Lough, as he batted just .201/.241/.313 in 144 plate appearances with the O’s before being designated for assignment and eventually outrighted to Triple-A. Lough did return to the Majors in September for a bit, but because he finished the year having qualified as a Super Two player, the O’s non-tendered him rather than going through the arbitration process.

Prior to his 2015 struggles, Lough was a solid platoon option in the corner outfield. He’s never had much pop, but Lough combined respectable average and OBP marks against right-handed pitching with strong defense to provide value in K.C. and Baltimore. From 2013-14, Lough posted an overall batting line of .272/.310/.403, including a .277/.319/.411 slash against righties in that span. In 726 innings as a left fielder in his big league career, Lough has posted huge marks in Defensive Runs Saved (+20) and Ultimate Zone Rating (+13.5). He’s had similar success in right field (+9 DRS, +9.2 UZR in 639 2/3 innings), and he’s even drawn positive marks in a small, 347-inning sample in center field.

The Phillies currently have Cody Asche, Aaron Altherr, Peter Bourjos, Odubel Herrera and No. 1 overall Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel in the mix for regular at-bats in the outfield this year. Lough will compete for the right to join that group, and if he’s able to land on the team and stick all year, he’d be controllable through the 2019 season, should the club keep him around.

We’ll run down the list of American League non-tenders here, and update it as reports come in.

• According to a club announcement this morning, the Yankees non-tendered righty Domingo German last night. By parting with the pre-arb-eligible hurler, New York cleared one open spot on its 40-man.
• The Rangers announced that they won’t tender contracts to righty Nick Tepesch or outfielder James Jones. Neither player was arbitration eligible, but the decisions clear two 40-man roster spots. Tepesch missed the 2015 season battling shoulder injuries. Jones was recently acquired in a trade with the Mariners, though the main component of that deal for the Rangers was probably right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen. Texas hopes to retain both on minor league contracts, tweets the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson.
• The Blue Jays have non-tendered backup catcher Josh Thole and tendered the rest of their players, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter). Thole has served primarily as R.A. Dickey’s personal catcher due to his familiarity with the knuckleball for much of his time with the Blue Jays.
• Outfielder David Lough has also been non-tendered by the Orioles, the club announced. Lough hit just .201/.241/.313 with the Orioles in 144 plate appearances this season but has a reputation as a good defensive outfielder in the corners and traditionally hit righties well prior to this season.
• The White Sox have non-tendered Tyler Flowers and Jacob Turner. More on that decision here.
• The Orioles will non-tender infielder Paul Janish, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The defensively gifted journeyman was projected to earn a modest $600K in arbitration next season.

Earlier Updates

• Righty Al Alburquerque will be non-tendered by the Tigers, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweets. The 29-year-old was projected to earn only $2.1MM, and Detroit could use pen depth, but it appears that the club decided to move on after watching the veteran contribute 62 innings of 4.21 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9 last year.
• The Athletics have announced that first baseman Ike Davis will not be tendered a contract, meaning he’ll become a free agent. The veteran was entering his final year of control at a $3.8MM projected salary. His non-tender was widely expected after a tough 2015 season, but became assured when the club swung a deal earlier today for his replacement.

A few more items pertaining to the AL East…

• The Orioles are “searching everywhere” for outfield help, writes CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff. At present, there are seven players on Baltimore’s 40-man roster with outfield experience, but only Adam Jones is the only established regular among them, Dubroff notes. Arbitration eligible players like David Lough and Nolan Reimold could be non-tendered next week, Dubroff writes, though Reimold is a better bet to return than Lough, he adds.
• Former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was a recent guest on the WEEI Hot Stove show, and in discussing David Price’s impact on the Jays, Anthopoulos called him the “best teammate I’ve ever seen.” Anthopoulos lauded Price for his work ethic and the way in which that rubs off on other players as well as the leadership he exudes in the clubhouse. Said Anthopoulos: “He brings something else more than just the two ERA and the 240 innings and everything else. He leads. He sets a great example. He’€™ll be a great get for any team that gets him.”
• Chad Jennings of the Journal News profiles some of the potential bargain help on the Yankees’ roster. While names like Dellin Betances and Luis Severino are obvious picks, Jennings also points out the potential bargain the team could have acquired in buying low on Dustin Ackley, who seems likely to handle the bulk of New York’s second base duties next season. Ackley hit a robust .288/.333/.654 in his tiny sample of work with the Yankees, but getting out of Safeco Field could help him realize his potential. Brendan Ryan’s $1MM salary looks like a bargain when compared to the two-year, $3.75MM contract commanded by a similar player — Cliff Pennington. And, the Yankees’ successful buy-low on Didi Gregorius last offseason has left the team with a shortstop whose production will far outreach his salary in the coming years.

• Dan Jennings, White Sox (2.171)
• George Kontos, Giants (2.171)
• Justin Grimm, Cubs (2.170)
• Arodys Vizcaino, Braves (2.168)
• Avisail Garcia, White Sox (2.167)
• Jurickson Profar, Rangers (2.167)
• Jedd Gyorko, Padres (2.164)
• Juan Lagares, Mets (2.160)
• Didi Gregorius, Yankees (2.159)
• Erasmo Ramirez, Rays (2.158)
• Chris Archer, Rays (2.156)
• Nolan Arenado, Rockies (2.155)
• Will Smith, Brewers (2.155)
• Jean Machi, Red Sox (2.154)
• Seth Maness, Cardinals (2.154)
• Scott Van Slyke, Dodgers (2.151)
• David Lough, Orioles (2.149)
• Chris Hatcher, Dodgers (2.146)
• Evan Scribner, Athletics (2.142)
• Nick Tepesch, Rangers (2.136)
• Zach Putnam, White Sox (2.135)
• Chris Withrow, Braves (2.132)
• Kole Calhoun, Angels (2.130)
• Jeff Manship, Indians (2.130)
• Anthony Rendon, Nationals (2.130)

Click here to read more about how the Super Two concept works. Note that, as the link shows, the originally projected service time cutoff moved down as things played out over the course of the season. That brought some notable names into early arbitration qualification — namely, Calhoun and Rendon — which could have a big impact on their earning power in potential extension scenarios.

It’s also important to bear in mind that several of the players listed above have already agreed to long-term extensions: Gyorko, Lagares, and Archer. Notably, the size of the guarantee provided by Archer’s contract is dependent upon his Super Two status. By reaching it (as had been expected), he keeps a $25.5MM overall guarantee. That total would have been reduced to $20MM otherwise.

That contract structure reflects the importance of reaching Super Two status. Doing so not only bumps a player’s salary a year early, but sets a higher floor for future paydays.

• Outfielder David Lough is back with the Orioles after being outrighted earlier this season; Baltimore announced today that Lough’s contract has been selected from Triple-A Norfolk. In order to clear a 40-man roster spot, Dylan Bundy was recalled from the minors and placed on the Major League 60-day disabled list. Lough will provide the O’s with some outfield depth — Adam Jones has been hurting of late — and provide the team with another left-handed bat. Lough was a very useful platoon outfielder in 2014, his first season with the Orioles, but his offensive output evaporated in 2015. Despite seeing most of his plate appearances versus right-handed pitching, Lough’s total batting line this season was a mere .202/.243/.318 in 139 plate appearances. The 29-year-old didn’t fare much better at Triple-A, where he batted .259/.290/.310 in 14 games.

• The Rockies selected the contract of right-hander Simon Castro, the team announced.  Castro and call-up Jairo Diaz take the roster spots of Justin Miller (demoted) and Rafael Betancourt (designated for assignment).  Castro made Baseball America’s top 60 prospects list prior to both the 2010 and 2011 seasons, though his stock fell thanks to some rough minor league campaigns.  The righty has a 3.79 ERA, 11.7 K/9 and 3.7 K/BB rate over 57 relief innings for Colorado’s Triple-A club this season.
• Orioles outfielder David Lough has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter).  It was reported on Sunday morning that one team had interest in dealing for the recently DFA’d player, but it appears the O’s and that unnamed club were unable to work out a deal.
• As per the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker, Lough’s outright leaves eight players (Betancourt, Emilio Bonifacio, Chris Capuano, Conor Gillaspie, Gerald Laird, Chris Rearick, Donn Roach and Fernando Rodney) awaiting their next assignment.

• There’s a team interested in working out a trade for recently DFA’d Orioles outfielder David Lough, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets.  There should be a resolution on his situation today, he adds.  If no trade is worked out, Lough will likely be outrighted to Triple-A.  To keep track of Lough and everyone else in DFA limbo, check out MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.
• Jonah Keri of Grantland reflected on Ben Cherington’s time in Boston and his missteps with the Red Sox.  Cherington whiffed on deals for Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval this offseason while largely neglecting the team’s pitching needs.  Later, despite his reluctance to give a long-term deal to a pitcher, Cherington locked up hurler Rick Porcello to a sizable contract.  Still, despite his mistakes, Keri gives Cherington a good deal of credit for building the team’s farm system.
• Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reflected on Dombrowski’s trade history and wondered if he’ll trade away the Red Sox’s prospects to win in the here and now.

Though defensively gifted, the 29-year-old Lough struggled to a .202/.243/.318 batting line with four homers in 139 plate appearances this season. Lough has posted nice numbers against right-handed pitching in the past, which, paired with his plus glove-work, has made him a nice platoon option in the corner outfield. Unfortunately, he mustered just a .553 OPS against right-handed pitching this season, which contributed to today’s departure from the 40-man roster.

Lough entered the season with one year, 169 days of big league service time and reached two full years just three days into the 2015 campaign. He’s since accrued 128 days of service (he’ll also get service for any time spent in DFA limbo). Any team claiming him off waivers could control him through the 2019 season, but if he ends the season on a big league roster, he’ll probably be arbitration eligible as a Super Two player.

Clevenger, also 29, will return to the Orioles for his second stint this season. He collected five hits in 11 at-bats his first time around with the club and has enjoyed a solid overall season at the Triple-A level. In 301 plate appearances with Norfolk this season, Clevenger has slashed .305/.375/.393 with four home runs and a nearly even strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’ll give the O’s a second healthy catcher on the roster, as Matt Wieters is currently dealing with a hamstring issue, though he’s not on the disabled list at this time.

Here’s more from the East divisions:

• Marlins utility man Don Kelly had season-ending Tommy John surgery, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Kelly got into just two games for the Marlins in early April. He also spent a short stint at High-A. In 1,190 plate appearances, mostly with the Tigers, he’s a .232/.296/.335 hitter.
• A roster move is in the Orioles immediate future and Chris Parmelee may wind up with the short straw, writes Roch Kubatko of MASN. The club plans to recall Kevin Gausman for a start on Wednesday. The O’s are currently carrying just 11 pitchers, so a position player will have to go. In addition to Parmelee, I could see Ryan Flaherty, David Lough, and Nolan Reimold as players who could be designated. Jonathan Schoop could be temporarily optioned if Baltimore didn’t want to risk losing anybody. Also per Kubatko, the Orioles are monitoring prospect Dariel Alvarez. They could promote him soon despite concerns about his defense and plate discipline.
• When Ryne Sandberg resigned as Phillies manager, it caught colleague and friend Larry Bowa by surprise, writes Jim Salisbury of Philly.com. In an interesting interview, Bowa offered some opinions as to why Sandberg walked away. In addition to expected changes related to the hiring of Andy MacPhail, Bowa posits that Sandberg was fed up with a lack of work ethic in modern players. Bowa offers quite a bit more nuance so I recommend Phillies fans read the article.
• According to assistant GM Billy Eppler, the Yankees are engaged in several trade discussions, reports Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. Eppler played coy to the specifics, but he did note that it would be hard for the club to outdo the reinforcements they received off the disabled list – namely Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Miller.