Detroit — The roster moves hadn’t been announced yet, but a quick inventory of the locker stalls inside the Tigers’ clubhouse Saturday morning told the tale.
Ryan Kreidler’s locker had been vacated. Lefty reliever Tyler Holton’s nameplate and gear were in the locker that had been occupied by righty reliever Garrett Hill on Friday.
Some shuffling was inevitable with right-hander Michael Lorenzen’s activation off the injured list. He made his Tigers’ debut Saturday against the Giants. And with the Tigers having one extra position player, well, it was either going to be Kreidler or infielder Zach McKinstry getting optioned back to Triple-A Toledo.
“It was tough (to send Kreidler down),” manager AJ Hinch said. “He can help you win in a lot of different ways. But you’ve got to contribute in all facets to stay and we feel like he needs more time to get some at-bats.”
Kreidler played in 11 games but had only 18 plate appearances. He was 2 for 18 with seven strikeouts.
“We need to get his bat going a little bit and have him contribute more on that side of the game,” Hinch said. “He will get more at-bats and more opportunity to move around the field at Triple-A. He will very likely be back. We love this guy. Like I said, he can help you win in a lot of different ways.”
When the club called up right-handed hitting infielder Tyler Nevin last week, it gave the Tigers three right-handed hitting utility infielders (Jonathan Schoop, Nevin and Kreidler).
The writing was on the wall for Kreidler.
“It wasn’t just Nevin’s arrival, it was his performance,” Hinch said. “He was trending in a real good direction in the spring. We loved what he was doing. And then when he got hurt, it hurt his timeline. But when he got back to Triple-A, he started to crush again.
“That put a lot of pressure on this decision because we had very capable alternatives at Triple-A.”
He was referring to Mud Hens infielders Andy Ibanez, Zack Short, Andre Lipcius and Justyn-Henry Malloy – all right-handed hitters, all off to strong starts in Toledo.
“We’re not going to be afraid to use the depth we’ve created,” Hinch said. “It creates opportunities for guys who are here and it puts a little pressure on everybody. But we’re going to try this configuration until further notice.”
Hill out, Holton in
The Tigers were waiting for Hill to settle in and start commanding the strike zone like he did after he was moved to the bullpen last September. He never did. He walked five in seven innings and was consistently working in hitter’s counts.
“He was misfiring a lot, which is not his norm,” Hinch said. “He earned his way on this team based on how he pitched last September. He has some dynamic pitches. We like what he can bring in a bridge role. But he has to throw consistent strikes and he hasn’t really done that from spring training through now.”
Hinch told Hill to go back to Toledo, decompress and work through whatever mechanical issues he might be dealing with. The plan, though, is to keep him in the bulk-inning relief role. Which is the role Holton is stepping into.
“Holton can offer quite a but of length out of the bullpen,” Hinch said. “Being left-handed is very key in this stretch of games with the Giants, Cleveland and Baltimore. We’re hopeful he can stay in the strike zone and be that swing-type reliever for us.”
Holton, whom the Tigers claimed off waivers from Arizona, was one of the final cuts this spring.
“I’m ready to go in whatever role I’m going to be used in,” he said. “I’ve been used for two-ups and three-ups at Toledo.”
He features an elite changeup, against which big league hitters went 3 for 14 against last season with a 43% whiff rate. He throws the changeup off a 90-mph four seam fastball, mixing in cutters and curveballs, as well.
“He’s had some varied performances in Triple-A so far,” said Hinch. “In spring training we were intrigued – he could land his breaking ball for strikes and could throw the changeup behind in the count. He doesn’t have high fastball velocity but it plays up when he uses his pitches correctly.”
He got nicked up for six runs in his first two outings this season but has pitched three straight scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
“I’m just ready to play,” Holton said. “We have a good group of guys here. It was a lot of fun this spring getting to know everybody. There’s a lot of good talent here. We’re just trying to put it all together. I hope I can be a good piece of the puzzle.”
Twitter@cmccosky
Giants at Tigers, Comerica Park
1:10 p.m.
TV/Radio: Bally Sports Detroit, 97.1.
Scouting report:
RHP Logan Webb (0-3, 6.35), Giants: Fresh off signing a five-year, $90 million extension, he’ll being his sinker (92 mph), changeup, slider mix into Comerica for just the second time in his career. He’s pitched better than his stat line would indicate, with a 31% strikeout rate and 4% walk rate. His changeup has induced a 46% whiff rate.
LHP Matthew Boyd (0-1, 4.00), Tigers: Boyd’s strikeout and walk percentages are the same after two starts – 17 – and that is most uncharacteristic. His stuff, otherwise, has been effective. Opponents are hitting just .206 against him. But the walks and deep counts are preventing him from extending his outings.
— Chris McCosky