In the top of the fourth inning of the Detroit Tigers’ 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, May 15, Blue Jays right fielder Jesús Sánchez hit a hard ground ball between shortstop Kevin McGonigle and third baseman Gage Workman.
It was an in-between ball, one that probably should have been cut off by Workman but was instead called by McGonigle, who dropped the ball on the transfer and allowed Sánchez to reach on an infield single.
“I called [Workman] off right away, and we came close to close to colliding, and I had to get out of his way while I was getting the ball,” McGonigle said. “I’m sure with Gage being where he was, it would have been an easier play for him to get.”
It was a mistake McGonigle erased a few pitches later, with Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement grounding into an inning-ending double play to McGonigle, the type of play the rookie shortstop has made look easy through his first two months in the big leagues.
“That’s baseball for you,” he said. “I feel like every time you make an error or you mess up out there, the ball will always find you again.”
That hasn’t always been the case for the Tigers this season, however. Defensive metrics are not always consistent, but any way you look at it, the Tigers have been one of the worst defensive team in baseball this season. By Statcast’s Fielding Run Value, they entered Sunday second worst in MLB (minus-13) behind the Seattle Mariners. By Outs Above Average, they were last in MLB (minus-22). They committed the sixth-most errors in baseball (28) with shortstops McGonigle and Javier Báez each leading the team with three so far this season.
But excepting McGonigle’s judgement error, the Tigers’ defense was crisp on Friday. Detroit turned another inning-ending double play in the fifth inning before tying the game in the sixth, and a sliding catch from Matt Vierling on a Vladimir Guerrero line drive in the top of the ninth inning helped keep the game tied at 2-2 before Spencer Torkelson’s walk-off single ended the game.
“I thought [the defense] did a really good job turning balls,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “When we’re playing our brand of baseball, we complete ground balls, we complete fly balls, we can keep a double play in order. That was obviously a team game for us.”
With key pitchers rehabbing from injuries and plus-defenders like Báez and Parker Meadows injured, the Tigers need to have more defensive games like this to grind out wins.
“Everyone came together last night,” McGonigle said. “That’s definitely a win we needed, and we’re looking forward to keep going out and battling every day.”
Anderson to start?
With Tigers pitcher Drew Anderson pitching a season-high four scoreless innings on Saturday, and with Tigers starters Tarik Skubal, Justin Verlander, Troy Melton and Jackson Jobe all rehabbing from injuries, it presents an interesting question for a depelted Detroit pitching staff.
Should Anderson be tabbed to start later next week?
Hinch gave it a “maybe,” not necessarily because Anderson doesn’t deserve the shot, but because he might be needed in short relief before he has the opportunity to start.
“We’ve always hovered him short and long, and the versatility has always been attractive,” Hinch said. “So maybe we need him in a shorter stand, or we might need the length once he gets a couple days off. … I just don’t know how it’s going to shake out over the next week.”
Anderson signed with the Tigers in the offseason after pitching the last four seasons in Asia, and his time in Detroit has been a mixed bag so far. He has given up 14 runs in 27 innings pitched but has occasionally shown the stuff that demonstrates why the Tigers see him as a potential depth piece.
For his part, Anderson said he doesn’t know whether he will be tabbed to start, but he appeared ready to ramp up when asked about the possibility.
“I’m just a pitcher,” he said while smiling.
Tigers injury updates
Hinch said pitcher Ty Madden played catch on Saturday morning, one day after taking a line drive to the forearm and exiting the game in the third inning. Initial X-rays came back negative, and the Tigers are waiting on further medical evaluations before making a potential roster move for Madden.
Tigers pitchers Beau Brieske and Will Vest each made rehab appearances for Triple-A Toledo on Friday, with Brieske allowing two hits and one earned run over two innings and Vest pitching a clean third inning on just nine pitches.
“Brieske was awesome, and again, high in velocity and stuff,” he said. “It was a pretty good step in the right direction.” Brieske has yet to pitch in 2026 after suffering a left adductor strain during spring training.
Hinch said that Vest “felt great” and was a candidate to return to the Tigers as early as Sunday. Vest has been on the injured list since May 2 with inflammation in his right forearm, and his return could make a big impact in an injury-riddled Tigers bullpen.
Injured second baseman Gleyber Torres is “doing activity” in Lakeland, Fla., today, with Hinch saying he may be able to play for Single-A Lakeland in Clearwater on Sunday as part of his rehab schedule. Torres has been on the injured list since May 6 with a left oblique strain.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers make progress on defense in win over Blue Jays
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
