Minneapolis — AJ Hinch didn’t think he was breaking news. He wasn’t, in fact. It was a topic he has discussed before, a topic that remains just a consideration, nothing that is actionable at this point.
He was asked during his weekly spot on MLB Radio on Tuesday if he’d consider splitting up the two lefties at the top of his rotation, Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez.
The answer was yes. It’s always been yes, even back in spring training when he talked about it. Yes, as in he would consider it. Not, yes we’re going to do it tomorrow.
“Eventually we will do it,” he said before the game Tuesday. “It might be when we reinsert JV (Justin Verlander). I don’t exactly know how the rotation is going to play out. I think everybody always wonders if it was going to stay the same.”
Verlander went on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 1 with left hip inflammation. He has continued to maintain a modified throwing program which the Tigers hope will facilitate a return close to the end of those 15 days.
The earliest he can return is April 16, which would be a day game against the Royals at Comerica Park. If the rotation stays as it is Keider Montero would be lined up for that start.
If Verlander is cleared for competition and doesn’t need to make a rehab start, they could swap him in for Montero.
Or, with the off day Monday, they could push everybody ahead, which would put Casey Mize on the mound against the Royals on April 16, Skubal, on regular rest, could start the series in Boston on Friday, April 17, and, if Hinch wanted, he could insert Verlander on Saturday, April 18, thus splitting Skubal and Valdez.
But that is a lot of ifs and buts, especially since there’s no way of knowing if Verlander will be ready by then and Hinch isn’t convinced yet of the actual need to split them.
It’s not so much about showing opponents two lefty starters back-to-back. Skubal (power) and Valdez (finesse) are two distinctly different left-handed pitchers, both equally tough on right-handed and left-handed hitters.
“It might improve our ‘pen,” Hinch said, offering one reason to split them up.
Two times through the rotation so far, the bullpen has been used heavier at the back end of the rotation than on days Skubal and Valdez start, the 4-2 loss to the Twins on Tuesday, notwithstanding.
In a perfect world, all five starters average six-plus innings a start and bullpen usage is relatively the same each night. That’s not reality. Between Mize, Jack Flaherty, Verlander and Montero, there’s been one start that lasted six innings (Mize).
Thus, splitting Skubal and Valdez — again, theoretically — could give the bullpen a lighter day every other game.
“I don’t even know that it is an advantage to split them up,” Hinch said. “There are times when I’d love to have them back-to-back. If we started a playoff series today, I’d want them back-to-back.
“The question was, do I see them pitching back-to-back the entire year and the answer is no.”
Around the horn
Skubal posted his 900th career strikeout in the first inning Tuesday night. He did it in his 140th game and in his 780th inning.
… Hinch divulged before the game Wednesday that reliever Will Vest was one of several players who’d been felled by a stomach virus. He, like Kerry Carpenter, was not at the ballpark Monday and was unavailable Tuesday. He was back and available for use Wednesday.
… Entering play Wednesday, Spencer Torkelson was seeing an average of 4.76 pitches per plate appearance. That leads the Tigers and was third best in the majors behind the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz (4.88) and Seattle’s Leo Rivas (4.87). Torkelson had two hits and a walk Tuesday.
… Riley Greene has reached base safely in the first 11 games of the season. The last Tiger to reach base in the first 11 games of a season was Nick Castellanos in 2019, per Elias.
Tigers at Twins
First pitch: 1:40 p.m. Thursday, Target Field, Minneapolis
TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net, 97.1 FM
Scouting report
RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 7.56), Tigers: He’s yet to fully sync up his mechanics. He walked four batters and hit three in 4-plus innings against the Cardinals in his last start. When he’s been able to get in the zone, he’s holding hitters to a .176 average with his four-seamer and a .222 average with his slider. But he’s not been able to command the zone with any consistency, evidenced by the fact his strikeout rate and walk rate are the same (18.6%).
RHP Mick Abel (0-2, 11.05), Twins: He dominated the Tigers over three innings in spring (five strikeouts), featuring a 97-mph four-seamer. But he’s not been that guy in his first two outings this season, not even close. His four-seamer is averaging 94.7 mph and he’s walked seven, hit two batters and allowed 14 hits and nine runs in 7.1 innings. He has a six-pitch mix, throwing sliders, sweepers and sinkers to right-handers, changeups and curveballs to lefties.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers splitting up Skubal, Valdez in rotation? Eventually, Hinch says
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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