Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling will each be beginning the season on the Tigers’ injured listing, whereas Wenceel Perez can be a little bit of a query mark after he obtained a cortisone shot to cope with a lingering again downside. With so many absences already within the Detroit outfield, the crew is getting artistic in searching for solutions, as supervisor A.J. Hinch advised reporters (together with the Detroit Free Press’ Jeff Seidel) that Spencer Torkelson has been getting in some outfield work, and can play proper subject within the Tigers’ sport with the Pirates on Monday.
Hinch made it clear that Torkelson will get “only a sprinkle” of time in proper subject and “you’re not going to see him on the market routinely….however we’d prefer it to be a part of the provision in sport work.” Even when the Tigers nonetheless view Torkelson as a primary base/DH candidate, including some versatility clearly can’t damage his total resume, plus it presents one other avenue to get his bat into the lineup.
Torkelson performed some outfield throughout his summer season league days and in school at Arizona State, however since being chosen first total within the 2020 draft, Torkelson has performed solely third and first base as an expert. However, Torkelson is “excited for a chance” in a brand new position, and is comfortable to assist the crew as a lot as attainable: “We had actually key gamers form of go down this spring, and…within the time being, we acquired to search out methods to compete and win, and I’ll do no matter it takes.”
Regardless of his top-prospect standing, Torkelson has but to essentially get going on the MLB degree, as he adopted up a promising 2023 marketing campaign with a borderline disastrous 2024. Torkelson hit solely .219/.295/.374 over 381 plate appearances, although his offense did decide up after he returned to the Tigers following a Triple-A stint of over two and a half months. After Detroit signed Gleyber Torres this winter and subsequently moved Colt Keith from second to first base, there was hypothesis that Torkelson would possibly even be a commerce chip, because the Tigers gave the impression to be squeezing him right into a part-time DH position at finest.
Nevertheless, Torkelson has been on a tear on the plate this spring, maybe serving to his probabilities at a extra common flip in a DH position. Torkelson’s case for enjoying time has been helped by the truth that he’s considered one of comparatively few right-handed hitters inside a Tigers lineup that tilts closely to the left, plus the outfield accidents may imply that Kerry Carpenter will get extra work in proper subject than at DH. Torkelson himself now could possibly be thought of for the occasional cameo in proper subject as conditions warrant.
It now appears attainable we may get the unlikely mixture of Torkelson in proper subject and Javier Baez in middle subject sooner or later throughout a sport, which speaks to the depth points which were brought on by this sudden spate of outfield accidents. Chances are high that Detroit will merely lean extra on utilitymen Andy Ibanez or Zach McKinstry to fill holes whereas Meadows and Vierling are out, however discovering extra versatility on the bench (even from sudden sources) is now a should
