Of their newest spherical of Spring Coaching roster strikes forward of Opening Day, the Tigers introduced this morning that they’ve optioned infielder Jace Jung and left-hander Sean Guenther. Neither participant will break camp with the membership.
Jung, 24, was the membership’s first-round choose within the 2022 draft and is a former top-100 prospect. The teen made his large league debut final yr and hit a good .241/.362/.304 (102 wRC+) in 94 journeys to the plate for the Tigers, although that league common manufacturing is inflated by success. Whereas Jung walked at a wonderful 16% clip throughout his time within the majors final yr, the mixture of a large 30.9% strikeout charge and minimal energy (simply 5 extra-base hits, all of which have been doubles) left him to depend on an unsustainable .380 BABIP to get his slash line to league common total.
Even so, Jung entered camp because the possible favourite for an Opening Day job at third base for the Tigers. Whereas the membership made a critical push so as to add Alex Bregman to the combination in free company this winter, they in the end got here up quick and entered camp with solely their inner choices out there to them. That put Jung in robust place to doubtlessly earn the nod, however Jung has struggled badly in Spring Coaching this yr as he’s gone simply 4-for-33 on the plate with 4 walks towards ten strikeouts. Spring Coaching numbers solely depend for a lot, in fact, however between his questionable cup of espresso final yr and the Tigers’ over reliance on left-handed bats within the lineup the membership clearly felt most snug sending Jung to Triple-A Toledo to start the season.
With Jung now out of the combination for the Opening Day roster, third base appears prone to be manned by a platoon of the lefty-swinging utility man Zach McKinstry and righty bat Andy Ibanez. Ibanez was already anticipated to platoon with Jung coming into camp, although McKinstry appeared ticketed for a bench position to start out the spring. McKinstry hit simply .215/.277/.337 (75 wRC+) in 325 journeys to the plate for the Tigers final yr however posted a barely extra strong .225/.284/.356 (82 wRC+) line towards right-handed pitching final yr. Ibanez, in the meantime, crushes left-handed pitching to the tune of a .292/.357/.445 slash line. McKinstry isn’t the one choice to share time at third base with Ibanez, although none of Ryan Kreidler, Javier Baez, or non-roster invitee Jahmai Jones are essentially surefire enhancements over the utility man’s anticipated offensive manufacturing.
With Jung off the roster, that opens up a spot within the place participant combine for one of many different gamers vying for a spot in camp. Chopping Jones makes shortstop Trey Sweeney very prone to break camp with the membership, and the soon-to-be 25-year-old shortstop figures to platoon with Baez at quick to open the yr. A minimum of one roster spot seems prone to go to both Spencer Torkelson or Justyn-Henry Malloy to supply the Tigers a further right-handed bat within the outfield and DH combine whereas Matt Vierling is on the injured checklist, and the membership’s remaining out there spot on the bench figures to come back right down to one in every of Kreidler, Jones, and whichever of Torkelson and Malloy isn’t already on the roster.
As for Guenther, the lower isn’t precisely a shock. The southpaw excelled in restricted work final yr with the Tigers, posting a 0.86 ERA and a couple of.60 FIP in 21 innings, however Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter each entered camp with a leg up on Guenther for an Opening Day roster job and the membership signed veteran southpaw Andrew Chafin as a non-roster invitee throughout camp, which possible extinguished any hope of Guenther making the roster as a 3rd southpaw within the bullpen.
