DETROIT — Two weeks after Kody Clemens followed in his father’s footsteps by reaching the Major Leagues, he has now followed his Cy Young-winning father to the mound. The Tigers infielder became a pitcher for an inning, tossing a one-run eighth in Wednesday’s 13-0 loss to the White Sox at Comerica Park.
Perhaps prophetically, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had noted earlier how he had missed a chance to use Kody on the mound at Yankee Stadium, where the Tigers suffered a 13-0 loss on June 3. Fellow Tigers infielder Harold Castro, Hinch’s position player-pitcher of choice, tossed an inning in that one. Once Chicago pulled away early on a hot Wednesday afternoon, with Detroit’s pitching staff already taxed from a bullpen game Tuesday night, Hinch ran a procession of position players to the mound for the final three innings.
After Castro recorded his first big league strikeout in the seventh, on came Clemens for the eighth. Suffice to say, he did not show his father’s fastball, topping out at 49.7 mph, according to Statcast. Then again, Statcast only showed him throwing sliders and curveballs. Regardless, he got through the inning, allowing a run on three hits with one walk. Catcher Tucker Barnhart came on to pitch the ninth.
Clemens’ pitching debut came just two days after he recorded his first MLB hit, ending an 0-for-17 start with a two-hit performance in the series opener vs. Chicago.