Lakeland, Fla. — There are 41 players still in camp and only eight days and six spring games left before the season opener against the Rays. The math is bad and manager AJ Hinch understands the angst this creates in his clubhouse. “I told our group this morning to hang with us the best you
LAKELAND, Fla. — Akil Baddoo had such a jump from first base that the ground ball from Andy Ibañez was well behind him as he reached second base. He knew the ball was in play, so he didn’t slide. He just didn’t know where it ended up, which is why he took a quick step
Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland provides his sincere analysis of the upcoming season.
Matt Vierling will begin the season as the righthanded bat in a left-field platoon. Under The Awning, hear what the Tigers’ versatile bat will offer to his new team.
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost to the Atlanta Braves, 5-3, on Wednesday at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Tigers are 12-15 in Grapefruit League play. What happened Miguel Cabrera, who turns 40 in April, was on second base when Ryan Kreidler hit a line drive off the glove of second baseman Ehire
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers second baseman César Hernández should feel good about his chances of making the Opening Day roster. It’s not official, but the 32-year-old switch-hitter has seemingly earned his way because of his track record at the highest level and his consistent performance in spring training. He has played 1,186 games across
Lakeland, Fla. — After every game this spring, Toledo pitching coach Doug Bochtler walks by the group of reporters waiting to talk to manager AJ Hinch shaking his head, saying, “Not today, not today.” It’s a funny bit. And the joke, as Bochtler knows, is in the fact that assistant coaches, even Triple-A assistant coaches,
Lakeland, Fla. — Michael Lorenzen knew he should’ve stayed up. He had a feeling the ending of the WBC championship game between Japan and the United States on Tuesday night was not only going to be epic, it could end up being settled by friends. “I mean, I have an injury, so I have to
Last Friday’s contest against the New York Yankees had something on the line for Matt Manning. After a third straight season saw him beset by minor arm trouble, the 25-year-old right-hander and the Detroit Tigers pitching coaches had a lot to clean up this spring. His early Grapefruit League outings didn’t inspire much confidence. But
When the Tigers traded Gregory Soto to the Phillies in January for a package of players that included Matt Vierling, it’s reasonable if you weren’t fired up to get a 26-year-old outfielder who had an on-base-percentage below .300 last season. While I’m not here to tell you that you’re wrong and that Vierling is a
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers, barring an injury or an unforeseen construction of the Opening Day roster, will pick between two left-handed hitters for their final outfield spot: Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo. It’s a battle of power vs. speed. The Tigers already have three outfielders locked in: Riley Greene (left-handed hitter), Austin Meadows (left-handed
MIAMI — It’s difficult to overstate the impact of Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera on his native Venezuela. The future Hall of Famer, who caught the eye of scouts as a teenager at a run-down ballpark in the La Pedrera neighborhood in Maracay, is the greatest baseball player in his country’s history. He spent this spring
EAST LANSING — It’s so strange going from the gentle warmth of spring training to the excitement of March Madness. But it does offer a unique perspective. A chance to see things in a different light. Which is what happened on Tuesday afternoon, as I was walking down the hallway with Michigan State basketball coach
Jaws dropped, heads shook, hearts sank, and more than a few tempers flared last week when the Tigers announced that prized pitcher Jackson Jobe, the team’s top draft pick in 2021, would miss 3-6 months with lumbar spinal inflammation. Very much implied was that Jobe’s entire 2023 season could be shelved. Unsaid, but clearly feared
Tampa — Not that he ever would, but Ryan Kreidler can’t say he wasn’t given an honest opportunity to make the Tigers’ Opening Day roster. He made another start at shortstop Tuesday. He’s played in 17 of the Tigers’ 26 spring games and entered with the third-most at-bats on the team (39). He’s also played
All things considered, Eduardo Rodriguez probably would have liked to have been somewhere else this weekend. Oh, it’s not that he pitched poorly in his second start of the spring with the Detroit Tigers — just the opposite, as he threw 4⅓ scoreless innings Sunday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida (about an hour before
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 11: Max Fried #54 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning in game one of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. MLB Power Rankings (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
Tampa — Kerry Carpenter is on the roster bubble. He knows it. He and Akil Baddoo, both left-handed-hitting outfielders, are quite possibly fighting for one spot. And time is getting short. This is the last week of spring games. Carpenter, though, who jumped from Double-A to the big leagues last season, hitting 30 minor-league home
TAMPA, Fla. — Kerry Carpenter put himself in an 0-2 hole by chasing a Luis Severino changeup down and out of the strike zone. He went for another changeup, but fouled it off. All Carpenter wanted was a fastball that he could handle in the strike zone. Two pitches later, he got it, 96 mph
TAMPA, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost to the New York Yankees, 6-3, on Tuesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Tigers are 12-14 in Grapefruit League play. What happened After a seven-day absence, right-handed reliever Will Vest appeared in a spring training game. He recorded two outs in the sixth inning as the Yankees scored