Detroit Tigers explain why Spencer Torkelson was sent to minors

ARLINGTON, Texas — The roster changes became official before Monday’s game.

The Detroit Tigers optioned first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo, selected outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy from the Mud Hens and designated infielder Buddy Kennedy to create room for Malloy joins the 40-man roster.

The 2020 No. 1 overall pick, once projected to become a superstar slugger like Pete Alonso and Paul Goldschmidt, was demoted to Triple-A for the second time in three seasons. Manager AJ Hinch didn’t describe Torkelson’s demotion as a reset, but rather as an opportunity for him to adjust his swing and regain his place in the big leagues.

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Torkelson hasn’t been asked to overhaul his swing midway through his third MLB season, but the Tigers want him to make distinct adjustments.

“We’re hoping to find some consistency in his swing, his setup, his approach, his quality of contact, just his overall offensive contribution,” Hinch said. “He also has some things to work on defensively, at first base, so he will pay a lot of attention to his overall game. It has become more and more obvious that the best place for that is Toledo. We will have him work there -down to get it back on track.”

While Torkelson works in Toledo, Malloy is expected to start at designated hitter in all three games against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, including starting sixth in Monday’s lineup. The 24-year-old plays the corner outfield positions, but the Tigers plan to use him primarily as a designated hitter due to his below-average defense.

Malloy must hit to keep his spot on the team.

He already has 839 plate appearances at the Triple-A level in three seasons, hitting .272 with 30 homers, 156 walks and 209 strikeouts in 189 games.

“He’s going to get a lot of at-bats,” Hinch said of Malloy. “He’s a good offensive player. He deserves to be at the plate to get a foundation at this level, and let’s see how he does. He’s a big league player. He can settle in and play. expect to play a role in the future of this team.”

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As for Torkelson, the Tigers want him to refine the mechanics of the bottom half of his swing to make him more athletic and adjustable at the plate. If Torkelson changes, he should be able to be on time for fastballs again.

Before the demotion, Torkelson hit .201 with four home runs, 16 walks and 56 strikeouts in 54 games, and he also recorded a minus-5 defensive runs saved at first base. The 24-year-old hit just .106 on fastballs from right-handed pitchers at least 93 mph, compared to the league average of .243.

Last season, Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 159 games.

“It’s been there when he got there on time, when he learned how to use his legs and how to set up his setup correctly,” Hinch said when asked if Torkelson needed to “overhaul” his swing. “Over the course of the season, for us, we will need subtle adjustments that will lead to better performance, more than we are looking for these monstrous, drastic changes that come with that word.”

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But Torkelson has been reluctant to change his swing since the Tigers drafted him No. 1 overall in 2020. The mechanics of his swing appear no different than when he arrived for his MLB debut more than two years ago. years.

Torkelson never talked about needing to change his swing. Repeatedly, even in the darkest days of his rookie season, Torkelson redoubled his confidence in his swing. It was the swing that brought him here.

It is her swing.

This latest demotion will test Torkelson’s willingness to make an adjustment.

“To be a complete offensive player at this level, you have to cover a lot and you have to be able to make some adjustments,” Hinch said. “And it’s been hit or miss with Tork. I think some time in Toledo, and some work with (Mud Hens hitting coach Mike Hessman) and our minor league development team, will do him some good. good to come back at some point and make an impact on this roster.”

Keston Hiura released

The Tigers also released Triple-A Toledo first baseman Keston Hiura from his minor league contract on Monday.

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The decrease in playing time following Torkelson’s demotion led to Hiura’s release. By releasing him, Hiura can take better opportunities to play with a different team, rather than riding the bench in Toledo.

The decision to release Hiura had nothing to do with his contract, which included no opt-out clause but instead contained an assignment clause – also known as an upward mobility clause – with three important dates.

The 27-year-old was the Mud Hens’ everyday first baseman throughout the first two months of the season. He hit .232 with six home runs, 21 walks and 56 strikeouts in 49 games, covering 199 plate appearances.

Hiura struggled in May, hitting .164 with two home runs in 22 games.

Ryan Kreidler returns to Toledo

40-man roster shortstop Ryan Kreidler was activated from the injured list Monday by Triple-A Toledo after appearing in seven games for Low-A Lakeland, hitting .100 (2-for-20). with one walk and 11 strikeouts. The 26-year-old has fully returned from a broken right finger.

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Infielder Eddys Leonard, also a member of the 40-man roster, is expected to be activated from the injured list by Triple-A Toledo in the near future. He has already completed eight games for Low-A Lakeland in his return from a left oblique strain, hitting .227 (5-for-22) with two walks and six strikeouts.

Both players were injured in early April.

Finally, infield depth has been restored in Triple-A Toledo.

Shelby Miller ready to go

Right-handed reliever Shelby Miller, who hasn’t pitched for the Tigers in three weeks because of an inflamed ulnar nerve, will be activated from the injured list in the three-game series against the Rangers.

He is part of the Globe Life Field team.

“I’ll be back,” Miller said.

The 33-year-old has passed all his medicals, completed two outings as part of his rehabilitation mission and could return as early as Tuesday’s match.

Miller pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts in his two rehab outings with Triple-A Toledo. His fastball averaged 93.1 mph in his last appearance, with a high of 94.3 mph.

“The velocity has been good,” Miller said. “The slider is good. The slider has been good. The splitter is better than it has been all year. I should come back with the right mix.”

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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