Ryan Vilade has made his way back to the big leagues, as the St. Louis Cardinals added the former Tigers outfielder to their active roster on Saturday following a strong performance with Triple-A Memphis.
Now 26, Vilade spent most of 2024 at Triple-A Toledo, making three brief appearances with the Tigers, where he went 8-for-45 (.178) with a home run across 17 games.
A second-round pick (48th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2017 out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, Vilade debuted in MLB with Colorado in 2021 at age 22, though he went hitless in seven plate appearances.
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He was later picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates off waivers after the 2022 season and signed a minor league deal with Detroit ahead of 2024.
Vilade’s return to the majors came 962 days after his first big-league appearance. He was called up in May to replace Parker Meadows, who had been optioned to the minors, and later had two more short stints with the Tigers before missing the postseason roster.
With Triple-A Toledo’s Mud Hens, Vilade hit .278 with a .795 OPS, collecting 24 doubles, 13 home runs, and 20 stolen bases. While mainly an outfielder, he’s also played multiple infield positions, adding to his versatility.
