Detroit — Riley Greene didn’t bat an eye.
“I have no problem with it,” he said. “I told them, ‘Whatever I can do to help the team, I will do. Whether that’s me playing right field, left field, center field or bench.’ It is what it is.”
Bench is not an option. You might have noticed, Greene has played a pretty spectacular brand of center field in his two big-league seasons with the Tigers. But with the arrival of center fielder Parker Meadows, Greene is going to be playing more in right field and in left field.
He started in right field Monday.
“It doesn’t mean Riley’s days in center are over,” manager AJ Hinch said. “He’s going to play all three. But, it was really important that everybody was on board, and Riley has been great about it. Whatever it takes for us to put the best team out there and win, that’s what Riley will do.”
It was inevitable, for a lot of reasons — health being foremost among them — that Greene was going to move to a corner-outfield position. Meadows’ explosive play in Triple-A this season has hastened the move maybe six weeks sooner than expected.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter who is out there, and I would never take it as a knock,” Greene said. “Parker is a hell of an outfielder. He’s fast and he can go get it. If I’m next to him, I’m going to try my best to help him out. I told him today, he’s the boss out there. He’s in center, so he has to take charge and tell me where to go.”
The Tigers, for most of this season, have turned more fly balls into outs than any team in baseball. With Meadows, Greene, Akil Baddoo, Kerry Carpenter and Matt Vierling out there now, the no-fly zone has expanded.
“Outfield defense is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to build here,” Tigers’ president Scott Harris said. “We have a chance on some nights to throw three center fielders out there. And we have a really big ballpark. Outfield defense is a really important tool to help protect our pitchers and improve our run prevention.
“That was a big part of this (calling up Meadows).”
Vierling will likely play more often at third base. And Hinch will have to be creative slotting in the four left-handed hitting outfielders (Meadows, Greene, Baddoo and Carpenter), plus utility man Zach McKinstry.
“When I think about how to deploy position players, I want to think of it as an entire group,” Harris said. “I want to create the best defense we can, as opposed to just putting the best defender in each specific spot. I think it gives us one of the more dynamic outfield defenses in all of baseball.”
Greene’s health, Harris said, was also a consideration. Greene missed the first two-and-half months last year because of a broken foot. He’s missed six weeks this season because of a stress reaction in his leg.
“Riley’s been banged up,” Harris said. “Especially with the lower-leg injuries. Managing his workload and having to move him off center field to right field and plug in a guy who we think can be a plus defensive outfielder in center is a good problem to have.”
Around the horn
There was another Tigers debut Monday. Catcher Carson Kelly, whom the Tigers signed on Saturday, made his first start, catching Alex Faedo.
“I’ve always admired his ability to control the strike zone,” Harris said. “I’ve always seen him as a guy who when healthy can drive the ball in the air. And I’ve seen him as a good defensive catcher. Injuries in the last couple of years have impaired his ability to perform on both sides of the ball. We think with better health and some adjustments we can help him make that he can recapture the form that made him a top-100 prospect.”
… Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.
… Former Tigers catcher Eric Haase, who was designated for assignment to make room for Kelly, was claimed by the Guardians Monday.
… There are a lot of cross-relationships between the Tigers and Cubs. Former Tigers Jeimer Candelario and Michael Fulmer with the Cubs. Javier Báez, of course, helped the Cubs win a World Series. Alex Lange and Zack Short grew up in the Cubs system. Also, former Tigers first baseman Jim Adduci is a hitting coach and advance game-planner for the Cubs.
Cubs at Tigers
▶ First pitch: 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Comerica Park, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: BSD/97.1
SCOUTING REPORT
▶ LHP Drew Smyly (9-8, 4.92), Cubs: Smyly, who pitched for the Tigers from 2012-2014, was returned to the Cubs rotation, at least for this series, when Marcus Stroman went on the IL. It will be his first return to Comerica Park since May 21, 2016. He was moved to the bullpen earlier this month after two rough starts, the last a seven-run pounding by the Mets.
▶ RHP Reese Olson (2-5, 4.83), Tigers: He’ll be glad to pitch to a lineup other than the Twins. His last two starts were against the Twins six days apart. He shut them out for six innings at Comerica and didn’t get out of the third at Target Field (four runs, eight hits, 2⅔ innings). His slider and four-seamer continue to do the heavy lifting for him. Opponents are hitting .207 with a 42% whiff rate against the slider, .172 against his heater.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky