St. Petersburg, Fla. — It came down to one essential truth for 23-year-old rookie Hao-Yu Lee. He needs to play. Every day, if possible. And, with veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres returning from the injured list Tuesday, his playing time was going to be more limited than it has been.
Thus, Lee was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to facilitate those additional reps and at-bats.
“I’m really glad he had the night he had last night,” said manager AJ Hinch, referencing Lee’s homer and single in the 10-9 win Monday. “Things were trending better for him. He had a good run of opportunity here.”
Lee ended up playing 32 games and slashing .205/.241/.337 with a .579 OPS. He struck out 24 times with four walks. Recently he was getting most of the starts at second base where he was a minus-3 defensive runs saved. With Torres back, those starts would be scarce.
“He had to learn a lot,” Hinch said. “He got called up quickly due to injuries and he was thrown into the fire. He did demonstrate things he could do at this level. He’s got power. He hits the ball hard. He’s versatile. And he also understands now that the speed of the game is faster here.”
The choice had been either Lee or Zack Short. Short, who came into the game with a positive WAR (0.1) and the third highest on-base percentage on the team (.324), is out of minor-league options so he would’ve had to be designated for assignment.
Also, Short’s ability to play shortstop was a pivotal factor in the decision. Hinch said he expects rookie Kevin McGonigle to play more at third base with Zach McKinstry and Short sharing shortstop.
“Sometimes we underestimate age and development,” Hinch said, referring to Lee. “When he came up, he hadn’t spent a ton of time at the Triple-A level. He had a broken spring with injuries and he was barely back from rehabbing and he still held his own, especially at the end.
“He matured right before our eyes and I told him he’s going to be back. I don’t know when, but I expect him to learn from this and be more comfortable next time he gets his name called.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Here’s why Tigers optioned rookie Hao-Yu Lee to Toledo
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
