BOSTON – The Detroit Tigers have optioned first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers informed Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, of their decision after Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, according to multiple sources who are not at liberty to publicly discuss the roster changes.
In the 2024 season, Torkelson is hitting .201 with four home runs, 16 walks and 56 strikeouts in 54 games, which is also worth minus-5 defensive runs saved at first base.
Torkelson has been sent to the Mud Hens for the second time in three MLB seasons. The 24-year-old is a career .218 hitter with a .683 OPS in 323 games, spanning 1,318 plate appearances.
THE PRESENT DAY:Does Spencer Torkelson need to be demoted to Triple-A? This time, AJ Hinch didn’t say no
Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday, May 19, 2024.”>
Before Sunday’s game, manager AJ Hinch suggested that Torkelson could be demoted to Triple-A Toledo due to performance issues after not playing him in two of four games at Fenway Park.
“I don’t know,” Hinch said before Sunday’s game. “I knew they were going to ask me the question when he sat down two out of three days. We haven’t talked much about things like that this morning. We’re trying to find a way to win the game today. That’s the most important thing.”
GOING UP:Tigers promote Justyn-Henry Malloy from Triple-A Toledo for MLB debut
To replace Torkelson, the Tigers promoted outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy from Triple-A Toledo.
Malloy, an outfield prospect acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Braves for president of baseball operations Scott Harris in December 2022, will join the Tigers on Monday for their three-game series against the Texas Rangers at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, according to multiple sources.
He draws walks at an elite rate, but his passive approach comes with the downside of striking out too much.
The Tigers informed Malloy of his promotion after Sunday’s game and need to create space on the 26- and 40-man rosters before officially selecting his contract. The Tigers also sent first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo, which opens up a spot on the 26-man roster but not the 40-man roster.
It’s unclear how the Tigers plan to fill first base in Torkelson’s absence, but several players, including outfielder Mark Canha, third baseman Gio Urshela and infielder Andy Ibanez, have experience at first base in their careers in the league. MLB. Urshela replaced Torkelson at first base during both games against the Red Sox.
Torkelson went 3 for 37 (.081) with three walks and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games, part of an even worse 3 for 40 (.075) streak dating back to May 19. of 16 (.000) with zero walks and nine strikeouts in his last four games.
The biggest problem is that Torkelson has had trouble getting his swing in time for high-velocity fastballs, likely as a result of his mechanics.
“I think there’s some mechanical things about him,” Hinch said before Sunday’s game, “where he distributes his weight, his lower half, trusting that a lot of the work he’s doing in the cage is going to be consistent, but it’s a lot more difficult than simply an analysis or a suggestion. Everyone in his ear tries to get him to do something positive.”
Torkelson is hitting .179 (with an expected batting average of .199) against fastballs this season. He hit two of his four home runs with fastballs, but both home runs were against left-handed pitchers, so it’s no surprise that he’s hitting .148 against right-handed fastballs and .280 against left-handed fastballs.
Last season, Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 159 games.
Malloy, 24, is hitting .253 with six home runs, 39 walks (20.1% walk rate) and 52 strikeouts (26.8% strikeout rate) in 45 games at Triple-A Toledo, spanning 195 plate appearances.
The Tigers rate Malloy’s defense as below average.
But Malloy, no longer a third baseman, has played 187⅔ innings in left field and 115 innings in right field for the Mud Hens, making just seven starts as a designated hitter.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show, “Days of Roar,” every Monday afternoon on demand on freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And check out all of our podcasts and daily voice briefings at freep.com/podcasts.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.