Detroit Tigers Sending Down Former Top Pick Spencer Torkelson After Slow Start to 2024

First baseman Spencer Torkelson, who blasted 31 home runs for the Detroit Tigers in 2023, is being sent back down to Triple-A following an 0-for-16 slump.

May 19, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) reacts after striking out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Chase Field. / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers are optioning first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo, The Detroit Free Press' Evan Petzold reported Sunday evening.

Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, was batting .201 with four home runs, 18 RBI, a .597 OPS, -5 defensive runs saved and a -1.1 WAR through 54 games this season. He was left out of Detroit's lineup against the Boston Red Sox on both Friday and Sunday.

According to Petzold, the move will be made official prior to the Tigers' game against the Texas Rangers on Monday. Outfield prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy is set to take Torkelson's spot on the active 26-man roster.

For as much as Torkelson has struggled at the plate and in the field in 2024, the decision to send him down to the minors is still a notable one, given his pedigree.

Torkelson was the No. 1 prospect in Detroit's farm system entering both 2021 and 2022. He was widely viewed as a top-five prospect in all of baseball at the time, and he owned the record for the largest signing bonus in MLB Draft history until Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes broke it in 2023.

The slugger out of Arizona State struggled as a rookie, batting .203 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, a .604 OPS, -3 defensive runs saved and a -1.3 WAR across 111 MLB games in 2022.

Torkelson's bat came to life in 2023, when he played in 159 out of 162 games. While his .233 batting average, .758 OPS and 0.8 WAR didn't exactly jump off the page, Torkelson's 31 home runs and 94 RBI are the most by a Tigers player in a single season since 2017.

The first baseman struggled even more in the field, though, racking up -11 defensive runs saved.

Adding his slow start to 2024 into the equation, the Tigers' brass had seen enough. The 24-year-old is now getting a chance to tune up his mechanics in the minors before getting another chance in the big leagues.

Torkelson was 0-for-16 with nine strikeouts and zero walks in his last four appearances. Dating back to May 20, Torkelson was batting just 3-for-37.

As noted by Underdog Fantasy's Jayhay, Torkelson had the fifth-worst fWAR among qualified batters this season and was one of 14 with a negative fWAR.

Without Torkelson, third baseman Gio Urshela and outfielder Mark Canha could take on more time at first base. Utility man Andy Ibáñez also has some experience playing first.

The Tigers and Rangers are scheduled to open their series at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday.

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