Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla. — His name is Jurrangelo Cijntje. He throws 97 mph as a right-handed pitcher, and he throws 92 mph as a left-hander. The 19-year-old, a natural lefty, has a reversible glove. He also has the attention of everyone in baseball. “He’s insane,” Kerry Carpenter said. The freshman switch-pitcher made his college debut Wednesday night
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull stood on the mound and started pitching. He faced hitters for the first time in 629 days. And he looked sharp. “This was a big step for me,” he said. “It’s been a while.” Before Thursday, Turnbull’s pitch came on June 4, 2021. By the end of July
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LAKELAND, Fla. — In a recent team meeting, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch asked pitching prospect Reese Olson about his Instagram followers. Olson, a 23-year-old right-hander who set the Double-A Erie strikeout record last season, wasn’t exactly sure how many people followed him. Maybe 2,000? Maybe more, maybe less? He didn’t know. But Hinch knew.
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LAKELAND, Fla. — “Riley!” a fan screamed from behind the fence. “Riley!” Riley Greene, the Detroit Tigers center fielder, came off the practice field, stopped and signed some autographs. Sgt. Dale Deas, a member of the Lakeland police department, stood a few feet back, watching the scene unfold. He was on a special duty assignment,
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Javier Báez, the Detroit Tigers‘ star shortstop, says he is fine. The first grounder in Wednesday’s workout struck his right index finger, and the Tigers sent assistant athletic trainer Matt Rankin onto the field to evaluate the situation. Báez appeared to be in pain. “It hit me right on the nail,” Báez said.
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has an opt-out clause in his five-year, $77 million contract after the conclusion of the 2023 season, meaning he could leave the Detroit Tigers to test free agency. The 29-year-old, who started on Opening Day last season, also has a 10-team no-trade clause in his long-term contract, meaning the Tigers
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LAKELAND, Fla. — On Tuesday morning, before the second official full-squad practice of spring training, Detroit Tigers CEO and chairman Christopher Ilitch spoke to the team and revealed his plans for changing the player experience: A new team plane. Revamping the clubhouse at Comerica Park. And trying to improve every aspect of being a Tiger. “I’m
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Miguel Cabrera stood in front of his locker Monday morning in the clubhouse. He was asked about the biggest difference between his first spring training, as a baby-faced non-roster invitee with the Florida Marlins in 2003, and his final spring training. “I don’t remember anything,” he said. His final spring training is
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LAKELAND, Fla. − On one side of the rainbow — that one that stretches across baseball, uniting generations of players and fans — you will find the aging superstar. Miguel Cabrera strolled out of the Detroit Tigers clubhouse on Monday morning, came down the sidewalk and approached the practice field. “Hey Cabrera!” shouted Katherine Ward,
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Colt Keith, the youngest player in Detroit Tigers major league camp, walked down the hallway outside the clubhouse with Hall of Famer Alan Trammell on Monday. The future getting advice from the past. “It’s very surreal to be around these guys,” said Keith, 21, arguably the top prospect in the Tigers system.
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, wearing a quarter-zip pullover with the Old English “D” on his chest, walked out of his organization’s facility Monday morning to meet with reporters for the first time in spring training. The Tigers have been running camp for a week, but Monday marked the first
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Right-hander Beau Brieske, a former 27th-round pick who defied the odds to start 15 games in the big leagues last season, sees an opportunity to further his development with the Detroit Tigers in 2023. Starter? Reliever? It doesn’t matter. “I feel like I’m adaptable,” Brieske said. “It’s good for me to be able
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Jonathan Schoop looks different. The 31-year-old second baseman arrived Sunday morning for spring training and clearly lost weight this offseason. He might not be in the best shape of his 10-year career, but he is significantly thinner than he was at the end of last season. “I feel it just waking up and
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Austin Meadows had a couple steps on his little brother. Parker Meadows, a little less than 4½ years younger, lagged behind. The brothers each carried their own bags — sort of — with black sunglasses covering their eyes as they approached the Detroit Tigers‘ spring training facility. Austin had a lightweight backpack hanging off
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Spencer Torkelson was curious. “Hey, what size bat do you use?” he asked some of the best hitters in baseball. Guys such as Mike Trout. Torkelson started hearing the same thing. Several players used bats that were 33½ inches long and weighed 31½ ounces, a half-inch smaller and a half-ounce lighter than the
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Eric Haase, who has never started more than 91 games at catcher in a season, is primed to be the Detroit Tigers’ starter there this season. The 30-year-old notched his career high in 2019 for Triple-A Columbus, the Cleveland Guardians’ affiliate, but hasn’t surpassed the mark since joining the Tigers in 2020. He
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