Detroit Tigers Giving Slugging First Baseman Chance To Become Outfielder This Spring
The Detroit Tigers have not had the best spring in terms of keeping their players healthy and ready to go for Opening Day.
In particular, the outfield has been a bit ravaged by injuries.
Utility man and presumptive regular right fielder Matt Vierling will miss the start of the year with a rotator cuff issue, and now, star center fielder Parker Meadows has been ruled out for Opening Day as well.
The Tigers have some tough decisions regarding who will make their roster to start the year and who does not.
These injuries to key players has complicated choices even more.
One player who has made a strong case throughout the spring after he was effectively written off during the offseason is slugging first baseman Spencer Torkelson.
Coming off a disastrous campaign in which he had to be sent down the minors and was replaced at first base, Torkelson was an afterthought entering camp.
Instead of rolling over and accepting a likely demotion to Triple-A, Torkelson has come in this spring and absolutely raked, slashing .273/.294/.636. He's still struggled a bit to get on base consistently, but he's blasted four home runs and had nine RBI on just 33 at-bats.
Now, according to Detroit insider Chris McCosky, Torkelson is going to get some run in right field as the team wants to leave no stone unturned in terms of who could step up in the face of injury.
While this sounds wild on the surface, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Torkelson has played some part time outfield while he was in college, so with Vierling and Meadows out for the start of the year, the Tigers could turn to their former top prospect to take over as an option in the outfield.
"I one thousand percent welcome it," Torkelson said of the possible change per McCosky. "We've had some really key players go down this spring. I don't know when they're going to return, but for the time being, we still have to find ways to compete and win. I'll do whatever it takes."
Manager A.J. Hinch has shown he's willing to get a bit unconventional in the way of manufacturing wins, and this could be the latest example of that.
The slugger has shown he may have found his power again this spring, and because of that, it would make sense to keep Torkelson in the lineup.
If Hinch thinks the 25-year-old can handle playing in the outfield, why not at least give him some practice reps and maybe some exhibition innings there to at least see?
Torkelson getting a regular season start in the outfield feels unlikely, but if he looks comfortable out there and continues to hit, a position change could make some sense until Meadows and Vierling are back.
