LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull stood on the mound and started pitching. He faced hitters for the first time in 629 days. And he looked sharp. “This was a big step for me,” he said. “It’s been a while.” Before Thursday, Turnbull’s pitch came on June 4, 2021. By the end of July
LAKELAND, Fla. — Amid the quiet of TigerTown’s back fields, the sound was noticeable from Spencer Turnbull as he released his first pitches against hitters since June 2021. It wasn’t as a grunt, but it was louder than the heavy breathing of a pitcher finishing a throwing session in the Florida sun. There was an
In addition to every out-of-market regular-season game, MLB’s streaming service gives subscribers the ability to watch select Spring Training games, live online or on their favorite supported devices. FRIDAYThe Red Sox will get a tune-up for the MLB portion of their spring schedule when they take on the Northeastern Huskies at 1:05 p.m. ET in
We’re a bit partial to FanGraphs around here. There are plenty of good sources for national prospect news, but none go so deep into their methodology as FanGraphs consistently does. So their top 100 prospect list, as well as their individual reports on each team, are a highlight of the preseason. We’ve already seen the
LAKELAND, Fla. — “Riley!” a fan screamed from behind the fence. “Riley!” Riley Greene, the Detroit Tigers center fielder, came off the practice field, stopped and signed some autographs. Sgt. Dale Deas, a member of the Lakeland police department, stood a few feet back, watching the scene unfold. He was on a special duty assignment,
LAKELAND, Fla. — In a recent team meeting, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch asked pitching prospect Reese Olson about his Instagram followers. Olson, a 23-year-old right-hander who set the Double-A Erie strikeout record last season, wasn’t exactly sure how many people followed him. Maybe 2,000? Maybe more, maybe less? He didn’t know. But Hinch knew.
Lakeland, Fla. — Matthew Boyd has been in the room for several of Christopher Ilitch’s spring training team addresses over the years. This one was different. “Yeah, it seemed a lot different,” Boyd said. “And that’s no knock on his conversations with us before. But, you could hear the fire behind it, just how badly
LAKELAND, Fla. — The first-pitch slider was pulled foul as Matt Wisler settled into his first session against hitters as a Tiger. There was no mystery that pitch was coming, but the way he throws it, it doesn’t matter. The next pitch, too, was a slider. This one, however, was slower with more of a
Lakeland, Fla. — All this stuff will shake out by the end of spring training. Shoot, by then, some new players could be added to the mix, completely throwing these early calculations out of whack. But as we sit here today, with the Grapefruit League season starting on Saturday, it’s hard to see how the
LAKELAND, Fla. — Javier Báez, the Detroit Tigers‘ star shortstop, says he is fine. The first grounder in Wednesday’s workout struck his right index finger, and the Tigers sent assistant athletic trainer Matt Rankin onto the field to evaluate the situation. Báez appeared to be in pain. “It hit me right on the nail,” Báez said.
As the new baseball season approaches, we have plenty to look forward to. Even if the team may not be stacked with All-Stars (yet, though who knows what surprises await), there will be exciting moments, plenty of wins, and most importantly, we will get to watch the final major league games of Miguel Cabrera. As
Nov 2, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Rafael Montero (47) walks off the field after recording the third out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in game four of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
LAKELAND, Fla. — Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has an opt-out clause in his five-year, $77 million contract after the conclusion of the 2023 season, meaning he could leave the Detroit Tigers to test free agency. The 29-year-old, who started on Opening Day last season, also has a 10-team no-trade clause in his long-term contract, meaning the Tigers
LAKELAND, FLA. — Zack Short was in the batter’s box. Two strikes against him. His bat in his hand. Eight seconds left on the pitch clock. He was looking down at the dirt. “And I got banged!” he said. The umpire called Strike 3 — rang him up on a technicality — because he wasn’t
After spending most of his career in right field and spending much of 2022 in center, it’s possible the reigning AL MVP will be taking reps in left field this spring. Yankees manager Aaron Boone tells reporters, including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, that Judge playing some left field is “on the table” for this spring. Joel
As one of the most celebrated hitters of the 21st century prepares to depart baseball, Mickey York speaks with Miguel Cabrera about the honor of playing for the Detroit Tigers.
Lakeland, Fla. — It was the first day of live batting practice on the backfields at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday — pitchers facing hitters — and as manager AJ Hinch promised, each of the three mounds being used was equipped with a pitch timer. No time like the present to get used to the
Lakeland, Fla. — Up until last year, Andrew Knapp enjoyed a fairly stable baseball life. He’d spent the first eight seasons catching for one organization — the Phillies. Drafted in 2013, he debuted in 2017 and was J.T. Realmuto’s back-up catcher from 2019-2021. Then the safety net broke. “I had such a crazy year,” said
LAKELAND, Fla. — The sun was shining on the practice fields at Tigertown on Tuesday morning. Still, if you blinked, you might have been carried back in time for a second as Alan Trammell stepped to snare a hard-hit ball in batting practice on the bounce. Riley Greene, who hit it, had to smile. Minutes
LAKELAND, Fla. — On Tuesday morning, before the second official full-squad practice of spring training, Detroit Tigers CEO and chairman Christopher Ilitch spoke to the team and revealed his plans for changing the player experience: A new team plane. Revamping the clubhouse at Comerica Park. And trying to improve every aspect of being a Tiger. “I’m