| Detroit Free Press
Spencer Torkelson ‘obsessed with winning’ for Detroit Tigers, even in minors
Detroit Tigers third baseman Spencer Torkelson chats Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, about getting ready for his first real professional season.
Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers third baseman Spencer Torkelson will miss spring training games after slicing his finger Wednesday night at his rental house. He needed at least one stitch.
Manager AJ Hinch said the injury is “very mild,” but Torkelson will be limited in camp workouts until further notice. He isn’t going to play in the initial spring training games.
“It’s a small cut on his right index finger,” Hinch said Thursday. “He can do some fielding work, but he’s not going to hit or throw for a couple of days. … You’re going to see him limited.”
[ How Spencer Torkelson’s injury will affect his debut and Tigers’ position battles ]
The Tigers selected Torkelson No. 1 overall in the 2020 draft from Arizona State, where he crushed 54 home runs in 129 games. He is the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
Torkelson lives in a rental house near the Tigers’ spring training facility with fellow prospects Riley Greene and Jake Rogers.
“Maybe part of his development is going to be opening a can,” Hinch said.
Torkelson was expected to start the early spring training games, as a handful of potential starters — including infielders Renato Nunez, Jonathan Schoop and Isaac Paredes — remain delayed in their arrival to full workouts.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.