Detroit — When your son is a professional baseball player and he FaceTimes you in the middle of his game — well, what the heck are you supposed to think?
“My mom answered with the most confused face ever,” Josh Lester said.
These are the stories that more than brighten the dullest, darkest Septembers for a team playing out the string.
Lester, 28 and slow-climbing through the Tigers’ system for seven seasons, got his first call to the big leagues in the top of the fourth inning Saturday night. He was with Triple-A Toledo, playing in Rochester, New York. He had homered earlier in the game and manger Lloyd McClendon pulled him from the game and told him to pack his bags and get to Detroit.
“Obviously, I haven’t stopped smiling since,” he said. “It’s more than you can ever dream of what it might feel like to be told you’re going to the big leagues.”
His mother was in the stands. His father, longtime Pirates’ scout Jimmy Lester, was with his sister. He looped them all, plus his girlfriend, into the same FaceTime call. From the clubhouse in Rochester. In the middle of the game.
“They were like, ‘What are you doing?’” Lester said, laughing. “They knew I was playing. I don’t remember much of the conversation. Lot of emotion.”
Can you imagine how far away the big leagues must have seemed to Lester, the 400th player taken in the 2015 draft? A skinny infielder, whose best defensive position wasn’t clearly defined early, who didn’t hit for much power his first few years?
Then, as he got bigger and stronger and steepened the launch angle on his swing and the balls started flying out of ballparks, he was locked in at first base. Miguel Cabrera, future Hall-of-Famer, was locked in at that position in Detroit. A couple of years later, the club drafted first baseman Spencer Torkelson with the first pick in the draft.
Even though he hit 21 homers in 2018, 19 in 2019, an organizational-high 32 last year and hit his 25th Saturday night — even as he diversified his defensive portfolio to include third base and corner outfield — getting a call to the Tigers seemed remote.
And then it came.
“This is a dream I had since I was a little kid,” he said. “It’s a dream my dad had, to play in the big leagues. It’s a dream he shared with me growing up. Going through some those ups and downs only makes it better. When Mac told me in the dugout, that was part of the emotion. Just how long and how hard the road has been.”
Lester grew up going on scouting trips with his father. He saw players like Dustin Ackley and Buster Posey play before they were prospects. Last spring he was standing alongside the Tigers’ dugout in Bradenton before a Grapefruit League game watching Pirates’ prospect Oneil Cruz hitting line drive missiles to all fields during batting practice.
“I saw him when he was just a teenager,” he said. “My dad scouted him. He’s going to be special, man.”
Flash ahead to earlier this season. Cruz, playing for Triple-A Indianapolis, hit a line drive at Lester with an exit velocity of 119 mph.
“Luckily I didn’t catch it off the fingers,” he said. “I still have the imprint of the ball in my mitt.”
The Cape Cod League team he played on won a championship. His little league team from Columbus, Georgia, won the Little League World Series in 2006. This is the baseball journey Lester has been on.
“There may or may not be a YouTube video of an interview of me with Erin Andrews,” he said, smiling.
There most definitely is. A young Lester, overcome with emotion, can’t help but crying.
“I’ve gotten to the point that if it shows up on the big screen, I’m OK with it,” he said.
Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch said Lester will for sure start on Tuesday in Anaheim and he’s hopeful he can let him get an at-bat or two before that.
“I told him he’s earned this,” Hinch said. “It would’ve been easier to call up someone who is on the roster or a guy that’s been here before. But we felt it was necessary to reward somebody who’s just out-performed the level he’s played at. He’s been in the organization a while, people have vouched for him, his character is great.
“I don’t know how long the opportunity is going to be, but guys need to know that it matters when you do well, and Josh has performed well.”
One of Lester’s inspirations through his extended minor-league journey was former Tigers’ farmhand Jason Krizan, who finally this season got his big-league call with the Giants after 10 seasons in the minors.
He hopes his story can provide the same inspiration to someone else.
“Hopefully other guys who are going through the same stuff in the minor leagues and it’s taking a little while, they can look at my story and say, ‘Hey, he did it. He made it,’” Lester said. “I hope it can be an inspiration to some guys who are grinding their way up.”
Jimmy Lester’s dream of playing in the big leagues died in Double A. Without question he is living vicariously through his son in the best possible way right now.
“He asked me what’s the biggest thing I was looking forward to,” Josh said. “I think that first at-bat is going to be it. I don’t even know what I’m going to do in the box. I don’t know if I’m going to stand like I usually stand or if I’m just going to black out and hope to hit something.
“It’s going to be very emotional. It’s been a long road since I was five years old, 23 years of trying to play in the big leagues. I don’t know what it’s going to feel like.”
Lester’s opportunity came because the Tigers had to put Cabrera on the injured list. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, they transferred Austin Meadows to the 60-day injured list.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been to Comerica Park,” Lester said. “Can you believe that?”
On deck: Angels
► Series: Three games at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
► First pitch: Monday-Tuesday — 9:38 p.m.; Wednesday — 4:07 p.m.
► TV/radio: All three games are on Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM.
► Probables: Monday — LHP Tyler Alexander (3-8, 4.76) vs. LHP Jose Suarez (5-6, 4.10); Tuesday — LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 4.17) vs. RHP Mike Mayers (1-1, 5.17); Wednesday — RHP Drew Hutchison (2-7, 4.06) vs. LHP Patrick Sandoval (5-9, 3.02).
Scouting report
► Alexander, Tigers: He’d allowed only five home runs in his first 17 outings covering 49.1 innings. But in his last four, covering 18.2 innings, he’s gotten tagged for six dingers. Opponents are hitting .317 with a .955 OPS in those four starts.
► Suarez, Angels: The Venezuelan-born lefty has been on a good run, going 4-2 in his last six starts with a 2.12 ERA, holding hitters to a .198 average and .535 OPS. He’s had good success mixing his changeup (33% whiff rate), slider (31%) and curveball off his 92-93 mph four-seam. He has a 31% chase rate, as well.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky