Lakeland, Fla. – Right-hander Alex Faedo, who was fighting for a spot as a long reliever in the Tigers’ bullpen, was among seven players optioned or reassigned Monday morning. Faedo and right-handed reliever Edwin Uceta were optioned to Triple-A Toledo. Right-handed relievers Kervin Castro and Miguel Diaz, left-hander Miguel Del Pozo and utility players Brendon
With a new season ahead of us, it seemed like a good time to look back at the origins of the game as an organized sport. Typically we tell the story of the game in terms of specific players and teams, but the organizing structures, the clubs and leagues of pro baseball’s early years, formed
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers have several fascinating pitching prospects in their minor league system. Wilmer Flores was named the Tigers’ 2022 minor league pitcher of the year — and for good reason. He has a vicious fastball; I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Detroit at some point this season. Ty Madden
Spring Training presents a valuable opportunity for many players to open eyes, whether it’s a veteran competing for a roster spot, a young player looking to cement his role or a top prospect getting a chance to play in big league games for the first time. Here are the players — one for every team
West Palm Beach, Fla. — That blue and gold Venezuela baseball jersey, with all the colorful trim, looked awfully sharp on Eduardo Rodriguez. But no better than he and his Tigers garb looked Sunday in his first start back from this month’s World Baseball Classic drama. Rodriguez, a left-handed artist who pitches with power and
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a tuneup before his final tuneup, Eduardo Rodriguez looked as if he was ready for the regular season to begin tomorrow. That’s good news for the Tigers, who have a lot of questions about their overall roster still to answer before camp breaks in about a week and a
Lakeland, Fla. — All this new Tigers flesh steps to the plate during spring camp at Lakeland and a half-inning later shifts to its infield and outfield posts. The Meadows brothers, Austin and Parker, are either back with the team (Austin) or moving closer (Parker) to the day they’re in manager AJ Hinch’s lineup. Nick
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost to the Washington Nationals, 2-1, on Sunday at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Tigers are 12-12 in Grapefruit League play. What happened Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, in his first start since appearing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, allowed one base runner in every inning
West Palm Beach, Fla. — Hanging among MLB’s tall timber after nearly a month of Grapefruit League duals are Tigers hitters, who have a stunningly un-Tigers-like place among 30 big-league teams. They arrived Sunday for a game against the Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches having hit more home runs (39) than any
This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. In case you’ve been distracted by March Madness (hey, it happens), Opening Day is less than two weeks away, and the Tigers are entering their final week of Spring
LAKELAND, Fla. — Matt Vierling and Nick Maton met for the first time in the summer of 2018. They already knew of each other through a mutual friend: Cole Daily, now a minor-league infielder in the Washington Nationals’ organization, was Vierling’s roommate at Notre Dame and Maton’s top competition in high school. “You hear about
JUPITER, Fla. — For much of the spring, Matthew Boyd has run into few roadblocks while preparing for the upcoming season. He’s essentially sailed through most of his starts, and as a veteran pitcher who has overcome some rather significant injury setbacks in more recent times, having an uneventful Spring Training has been a welcome
Jupiter, Fla. — So many at-bats like this one got away from Spencer Torkelson last season. Get into a two-strike count, missing badly on a breaking ball, get fixated on that breaking ball and then either get frozen by a fastball or chase one out of the strike zone. He’s such a different hitter right
JUPITER, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-4, on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The Tigers are 12-11 in Grapefruit League play. What happened First baseman Spencer Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, has been crushing baseballs throughout spring training. His exit velocities are excellent, and he recently started
Jupiter, Fla. — There have been presumptions made about the construction of this 2023 Tigers’ roster based on how consistently president Scott Harris and manager AJ Hinch have emphasized the importance of creating and exploiting matchup advantages. “I think there’s going to be a little bit of a mentality shift here,” Harris said at the
LAKELAND, Fla. — Jonathan Schoop needs to start hitting if he wants to keep playing. His track record suggests a turnaround is coming soon, but the Detroit Tigers have been waiting patiently for too long without results, and if the lackluster performance on offense carries into the regular season, he will lose playing time. Schoop is
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Lakeland, Fla. — It wasn’t a make-or-break start for Tigers’ right-hander Matt Manning Friday. There’s still too much time before he would be making his first regular-season start to put that much weight on it. But make no mistake, it was time for Manning to step it up after a couple of wobbly starts and
LAKELAND, Fla. — It was only St. Patrick’s Day, two weeks before Opening Day, but Matt Manning needed a good start. He got one Friday, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in an 8-7 win over the Yankees that left everyone feeling a little better. “He was throwing with conviction, and all his stuff was working
He might just be the best hitting prospect in the Tigers farm system, but he’s not quite ready for prime time. Don’t tell Colt Keith that, though, as he’s doing everything he can to leave a lasting impression with every swing he takes in Lakeland.