BALTIMORE – The Detroit Tigers aren’t ready to try something new.
Not yet.
The Tigers have lost 12 of their past 14 games, and the offense is the biggest reason for the collapse. During that stretch, the Tigers rank 28th with a .196 batting average, 29th with a 26% strikeout rate and 30th with a .097 isolated power.
For now, though, help isn’t coming from Triple-A Toledo.
“We’re paying close attention to it,” manager A.J. Hinch said Friday, May 22, before the first of three games against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. “It’s not as simple as just try something. There are roster ramifications. There are playing time ramifications.”
Some of the top performers for Toledo aren’t on the Tigers’ 40-man roster, including their No. 4 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) in second/third baseman Max Anderson and outfielders Corey Julks and Ben Malgeri.
Anderson, 24, is hitting .327 with an .806 OPS in 13 games and was a second-round pick out of Nebraska in 2023; Julks, 30, is hitting .289 with an .868 OPS in 39 games; and Malgeri, 26, is hitting .290 with an .881 OPS in 42 games.
Calling up one of those position players would require a corresponding move on the 40-man roster (as well as a 26-man roster move), such as designating for assignment shortstop Zack Short or third baseman Gage Workman.
The Tigers promoted Workman on May 10.
Since then, the 26-year-old has hit .179 with two home runs, zero walks and 13 strikeouts in 11 games. His 46.4% strikeout rate is a massive problem, and his three errors in 55⅓ innings at second and third base haven’t helped.
“We pulled up the player that was swinging the best in Triple-A in Gage,” Hinch said, “so it’s not as if we haven’t done anything.”
It’s no guarantee someone new would have success.
The Tigers didn’t make any position-player roster moves before Friday’s scheduled game, but outfielder Wenceel Pérez could eventually be at risk of losing his spot on the 26-man roster.
Even then, Julks doesn’t play center field, and Malgeri plays there only occasionally, whereas Pérez can handle all three outfield positions despite continued struggles.
The Tigers don’t have clear answers at shortstop or center field.
That roster construction problem (without injured center fielder Parker Meadows and injured shortstop Javier Báez) is showing up in the standings.
“We’ll always evaluate and see what’s possible and what’s best,” Hinch said. “The goal is keeping these guys focused here on that not being an option, but we’ll have to consider everything as we continue to get into this.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Tigers aren’t calling up Triple-A hitters despite terrible offense
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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