DETROIT — Michael Lorenzen battled old pal Shohei Ohtani for seven pitches in his first inning on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, trying to get a third strike past him. Ohtani fouled off the 95 mph fastball in the zone and declined to chase the changeup in the dirt, then fouled off the changeup on the outside corner.
Finally, Lorenzen went back to the fastball and spotted it just on the corner, drawing a called third strike from plate umpire Derek Thomas that left Ohtani shaking his head as he walked back to the dugout.
“Just attack him. That was my thought,” Lorenzen said. “Obviously he’s got incredible power. I think if I could’ve taken that mentality to the rest of the hitters, too, I probably would’ve had a better day. But, I mean, he threw the ball really well, too, today.”
What Ohtani did over the rest of the afternoon left everyone else at Comerica Park shaking their heads. And as Lorenzen was left playing a footnote to all but the scouts in attendance for Thursday’s 6-0 loss to the Angels in Game 1 of a doubleheader, he was left to face the possibility that his first start against his previous club was also his final start for his current team.
While the Angels rode the momentum of their trade for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to a doubleheader sweep, defeating the Tigers 11-4 in Game 2, the Tigers closed a 2-5 homestand against the Angels, Giants and Padres that showed some of the deficiencies they need to address in order to take the next step in the AL Central next year and beyond. They now hit the road for Miami and a week-long road trip knowing some players probably won’t be on the flight back from Pittsburgh next Wednesday.
Among them could be Lorenzen, the Tigers’ All-Star representative, who was brought in on a one-year contract last winter with the idea of rebuilding his value. That value includes the trade market, which leaves Lorenzen in a sea of uncertainty for the next several days until Tuesday’s Trade Deadline.
“I have no idea,” Lorenzen said when asked about what to do. “I did my shoulder program right after my start. I’ve got a spa day tomorrow with all the recovery stuff. Just making sure that I’m getting ready for my next start, to be honest. I think that was my 18th start. About 12 more left. That’s kind of where my mind’s at, just getting ready for my next one. When they tell me I’m pitching again, I’ve got to be ready to go.”
If it’s the Tigers telling him, that next start will likely be in Pittsburgh next week. But there’s a decent chance that next start will be in another city for another team.
While Lorenzen’s resurgence as a starter this year has opened eyes, his history as a reliever in Cincinnati before becoming a full-time starter with the Angels last year adds versatility that contending teams could use. Potentially, he could fit into a contender’s back-end rotation spot for the stretch run before shifting to a multi-inning relief role in the postseason. The Tigers saw that versatility and its potential appeal, too, when they signed him.
Among the teams with scouts in attendance over Lorenzen’s last couple outings were the Phillies, Rays, Reds, Rangers and D-backs, all teams with pitching needs but with well-established top ends to their rotations. The Angels, too, could use help, even after acquiring Giolito from the White Sox. Unlike fellow Tigers starter and trade candidate Eduardo Rodriguez, whom nearly all of those same scouts also saw over the past week, Lorenzen has neither an opt-out clause in his contract nor a no-trade clause; he’s a true one-year rental.
Lorenzen whittled down his five-pitch mix to primarily fastballs, sliders and changeups for Thursday’s matchup. The Angels hit eight fastballs for a 98.1 mph average exit velocity, but they also swung and missed on six of them and took two more for called strikes, including Ohtani’s third strike. Lorenzen’s slider drew eight more swinging strikes, including Taylor Ward’s strikeout to end the opening inning, and four more called strikes.
“My stuff felt good,” Lorenzen said. “Just maybe trying to do a little too much with two strikes, because every single guy can take you deep in that lineup.”
Though Lorenzen wore down from a combination of a hot afternoon and long at-bats — he reached full counts to six of 20 batters, including two Mike Moustakas singles that led to a pair of runs — he still held a dangerous Angels offense to three runs on five hits over five innings, in no small part because he held Ohtani hitless.
He’ll have that on his friend. By his next start, he could have a pennant race, too.