Jace Jung promoted to Triple-A as Mud Hens announce 2024 starting roster

When I previewed the 2024 Toledo Mud Hens roster the other day, we still had a couple of key roster questions. Those have mostly been answered as the Mud Hens unveiled their Opening Day roster for the season on Wednesday. They’ll start the 2024 season at home against the Nashville Sounds starting on Friday.

The most notable name added to the roster is infielder Jace Jung, one of the Tigers collection of top 100 prospects. The 23-year-old should slot in at the third base position most days for the Mud Hens and hit in the heart of the order. The left-handed hitter’s uppercut swing and solid plate discipline produced 28 home runs across High-A and Double-A in his first full season of pro ball, but with only 47 games played for the Erie SeaWolves, it was uncertain whether he’d move up this quickly. A really impressive camp that had AJ Hinch singing the praises of Jung’s intensity, effort, and preparation presumably tipped the scales.

Jung will join a likely infield of Ryan Kreidler at shortstop, Eddys Leonard at second base, and Keston Hiura playing first base. He and Leonard may trade off second and third base here and there.

The real intrigue involved the Mud Hens starting rotation. Sawyer Gipson-Long is still working his way back from injury, but with Matt Manning optioned to Toledo to lead their starters, there were still plenty of other possibilities. Alex Faedo getting one of the final spots in the Tigers’ bullpen resolved one question, and the Hens now have lefty Brant Hurter and right-hander Wilmer Flores to go with Keider Montero as their top Triple-A pitching prospects. Fellow prospect Ty Madden will head back to Erie yet again, for the time being. Madden isn’t yet on the 40-man roster, although neither is Hurter, which explains part of why he’s staying put to start the year. The other part of it may be the Tigers wanting to see him resolve some of his wide platoon splits and handle left-handed hitters more effectively as well.

So until Gipson-Long is ready to go, presumably in a few weeks at most, the Hens do have an available rotation spot. They also have Freddy Pacheco on the injured list until later in the summer, and Garrett Hill on the IL as well. The rotation spot could go to Bryan Sammons for a while, or lefty Lael Lockhart Jr. could come up from Erie. Mason Englert might be a possibility as well. Either way, they’ll have little trouble piecing something together until Gipson-Long returns, or they’re ready to promote Madden.

The outfield will have Justyn-Henry Malloy and Justice Bigbie in the corners and likely anchoring the lineup around power hitters Jung and Hiura. Akil Baddoo and Wenceel Perez should handle center field, with Perez also getting some looks in the infield. Buddy Kennedy and Ryan Vilade will play a bit of infield and outfield as well.

With Donny Sands DFA’d, the catchers will be Dillon Dingler and left-handed hitting MLB veteran Anthony Bemboom.