The Tigers are set to recall first baseman Spencer Torkelson from Triple-A Toledo today, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Torkelson will take the place of Bligh Madris, as Petzold reports that Madris was optioned to Triple-A after the Tigers’ 3-0 loss to the Yankees yesterday.
It has been over two and a half months since Torkelson’s last Major League game, as the Tigers decided the first baseman was in need of a refresh after a brutal start to the season. Torkelson hit only .201/.266/.330 with four home runs in his first 230 plate appearances in 2024, translating to only a 68 wRC+. With his Statcast numbers not hinting at any underlying reasons for optimism, Torkelson went back to Toledo looking to get himself back on the track.
The results in Triple-A have been mixed. Torkelson has hit .239/.356/.443 with 11 homers in his 275 PA with the Mud Hens, so his numbers have been solid yet far from dominant. He also posted a 30.9% strikeout rate in the minors this season, well above his past strikeout rates at either the Major League or minor league levels. As Petzold notes, a lot of these strikeouts are coming against sliders and changeups, though Torkelson has at least been performing better against higher-velocity offerings.
A winning record is still within reach for the 59-64 Tigers, but with a playoff run looking quite unlikely, Detroit is using the rest of the season to evaluate its young talent. Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney were just called up yesterday for their respective MLB debuts, so between those rookies, Torkelson, and Colt Keith becoming a fixture in his first Major League season, the Tigers could be getting an early look at what might be their infield of the future.
Torkelson still must be considered part of that future, as he hit .233/.313/.446 with 31 homers over 684 PA during the 2023 season. The first overall pick of the 2020 draft doesn’t turn 25 years old until next week, and while the Tigers naturally would’ve liked to have seen the youngster adjust to the big leagues in much smoother fashion, it is still far too early to wonder if Detroit should be looking to move on from Torkelson. Of course, Torkelson will need to hold up his end of the deal against MLB pitching, and even average-ish production won’t cut it from a bat-first player expected to deliver big numbers from the first base position.