Lakeland, Fla. — Trey Wingenter got a text from pitching coach Chris Fetter Sunday night, asking if he could pitch an inning on Monday against the Blue Jays instead of his scheduled outing Tuesday against the Yankees.
“Great,” he said.
Then came the second request: “You want to start?”
“Why not.”
Wingenter continues to make it very difficult for the Tigers to cut him. The non-roster right-hander had made just one start in his professional career — that as an opener for the Padres in 2019. But, he happily took the ball in the Tigers’ 5-0 spring loss to the Blue Jays and pitched a scoreless first inning, striking out Kevin Kiermaier and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.
“We put Wingenter probably in the most uncomfortable position we could, making him open the game,” manager AJ Hinch said. “But, if he continues to fill the strike zone, he’s going to factor in, for sure.”
It was supposed to be Michael Lorenzen’s start day, but he felt tightness in his groin while working out on Sunday and was scratched.
“He’s being evaluated,” Hinch said. “We will put him through the battery of tests that we always do. We will update his condition tomorrow.”
Wingenter, who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2019 and came through two surgeries, threw nine fastballs with an average velocity of 95 mph. He threw six sliders ranging from 79 mph to 83.5. He ended up getting three whiffs on nine swings.
“Any reliever will take that opportunity and enjoy it and hope to not do it again for a couple of years,” he said, laughing. “The idea of throwing four or five innings sounds terrible now. I’d rather throw one inning today, one inning tomorrow, one inning the next day. But it was fun. I just kept the same routine.”
Wingenter has pitched six scoreless innings this spring, allowing three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.
Englert alert
Rule 5 rookie Mason Englert took another huge step toward cementing his spot in the Tigers’ bullpen, throwing three perfect innings with three punch-outs. In 12 innings this spring, he’s allowed three runs with 14 strikeouts and two walks.
“Today was an extreme display of strike-throwing and efficiency,” Hinch said. “Other than trying to barehand a comebacker, it was about as flawless an outing as we could’ve hoped from him.”
Englert, who fortunately whiffed on that comebacker, needed only 26 pitches (22 strikes) to get his nine outs. He got five swings-and-misses on 15 swings, and six called strikes. The slider was his pitch of choice against a heavily right-handed lineup. He got two swings-and-misses and four called strikes with it.
He’s only 23 and has made just three starts above High-A ball, but if he’s feeling any anxiety about being perhaps a week away from making his first big-league roster, he’s not showing it.
“Honestly, I’ve felt really good,” Englert said. “I’m kind of at peace with it. It’s out of my control. I’m just doing what I do and enjoying being here. At the very least I’ve gotten a lot better from being around this staff. I just have to keep taking it day by day.”
The down side
The outing, and the game, got away from right-hander Garrett Hill. He gave up an RBI double to former Tigers’ farmhand Wynton Bernard in the eighth and then, after a pair of walks in the top of the ninth, he yielded a two-out, three-run homer to Devonte Brown.
“His mistakes have been costly,” Hinch said. “Walks, hitting batters, those set up the big innings. He’s not doing himself any favors in those innings.”
Hill’s fastball velocity was firm at 95 mph. He was mixing his four secondary pitches like he typically does, and got five whiffs on 18 swings with six called strikes. But, his command of the zone, like it has most of the spring, has cost him.
He has allowed 10 runs in 10.2 innings this spring with seven walks and four hit-batsmen.
“It looks like his delivery and arm are inconsistent,” Hinch said. “He’s rushing down the hill, then he’s late with his arm and late with his break. His arm-side misses have been costly.”
Hill is fighting for one of the bulk reliever spots in the Tigers’ bullpen. Presuming that Englert and Tyler Alexander will take two of those spots, Hill and right-hander Beau Brieske would be battling for one spot.
Game bits
… Two veteran lefty relievers in the hunt for short-inning roles continued to impress. Chasen Shreve, missing bats with his splitter, struck out two in a 13-pitch clean inning. Jace Fry gave up a hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings. He kept the Blue Jays’ hitters off-balance expertly spotting cutters, changeups and 90-mph sinkers.
… The Tigers offense has suddenly gone quiet, scoring just one run over the last two spring games. But Riley Greene stayed hot, hitting a triple into the corner in right field off starter Kevin Gausman and slapping an opposite-field single off right-handed reliever Luke Bard. Greene upped his spring batting average to .342.
… Miguel Cabrera and Javy Baez, in their first game back from the WBC, each went 0-for-3.
Twitter: @cmccosky