But as long as the second baseman is playing, he’ll be swinging. And while Parker Meadows stole the show at Comerica Park during Tuesday’s 8-6 win over the Cubs with his speed, flying around the bases on his first Major League triple before running down a line drive in right-center, Ibáñez provided the punch to a Tigers offense that boasted Meadows, Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter.
It’s clear the direction this club is going, but that doesn’t mean leaving comeback stories like the 30-year-old Ibáñez — one of just five players on the active roster age 30 or older — behind.
“I’m happy with the results, and I’m thankful for this team and this organization to give me the opportunity to get back to the Major Leagues,” Ibáñez said through translation by Tigers bilingual media coordinator Carlos Guillen.
Ibáñez hit eight home runs over parts of two seasons with Texas, covering 400 plate appearances over 116 games, before coming to Detroit last offseason. When he sent two Drew Smyly curveballs over the left-field fence Tuesday — a solo shot in the first inning, then a three-run homer in the fourth to put the Tigers on top for good — he boosted his total to nine homers for the season over 83 games and 274 plate appearances with Detroit.
The Tigers believed that Ibáñez had untapped power when they acquired him. It hasn’t all come smoothly; he hadn’t homered since July 23, and he hasn’t crossed .250 in batting average since May 17. Meanwhile, Meadows’ arrival in an already crowded outfield has pushed Matt Vierling and Zach McKinstry toward more infield time, potentially at Ibáñez’s expense.
Tuesday’s matchup against the left-handed Smyly, a Tiger from 2012-14, marked Ibáñez’s 10th start of August. Whenever he gets the call, he’s ready.
“Nice to see a bunch of guys do something right to contribute to a good win,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
The first-inning home run was an aggressive swing off a 1-0 hanger. Ibáñez saw a pitch he could hit hard and he reacted, sending it 423 feet. The fourth-inning drive was more anticipation once he worked Smyly to a full count, fouling off a cutter and a sinker before declining to offer at a 2-2 curveball in the dirt.
“I remembered that one of my [hitting] coaches, Michael [Brdar] told me during the warmups that Drew threw 45 percent breaking balls,” Ibáñez said. “So I was waiting for that. I was expecting that pitch. As soon as I saw it, I hit it.”
Smyly remains winless against his original team, falling to 0-3 against the Tigers, who peppered him for eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. Detroit’s lone hit off the Cubs’ bullpen came from Meadows, whose fifth-inning drive over center fielder Mike Tauchman’s head and to the fence sent the rookie dashing for third for his first career extra-base hit.
“Thinking triple out of the box,” said Meadows, who reached just shy of elite sprint speed at 29.9 feet per second, according to Statcast. “Put the head down. Once I get towards second, I look up again and see he didn’t have the ball yet, so I just kept going. A little too wide of a turn for my liking at first, but I was able to make up for it.”
Meadows put his speed on display again in the eighth inning. Cody Bellinger seemed to be thinking extra bases with his line drive to right-center, but Meadows covered 92 feet to track it down. It was an example of why the Tigers wanted to give him a look in center down the stretch.
“Our fans are getting a glimpse of him at this level and all the work that’s been done by him to get himself ready,” Hinch said, “but it’s pretty awesome to see him contribute that fast.”
Riley Greene, Detroit’s center fielder for the past season and a half, was in the dugout yelling for Meadows after that catch. He pinch-hit for Ibáñez with two on in the ninth inning, but the 22-year-old will be playing in the corners alongside Meadows on most nights. The same movement could hit the infield — Detroit’s No. 2 prospect Colt Keith has played second and third with Triple-A Toledo — but Ibáñez is making the most of his chances.