Detroit News

Los Angeles — J.D. Martinez was the first player to greet Miguel Cabrera before the game as the Dodgers honored the Tigers’ future Hall-of-Famer in his last visit to Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers presented Cabrera with a check for $5,000 for his foundation, a case of expensive alcohol and his very own Hollywood star. And

© 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper

© 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper

Detroit — If you pay close enough attention while attending a Detroit Tigers game these days, Comerica Park, which opened in 2000, is starting to show its age a bit. But noticeable and significant upgrades are coming soon to the ballpark, Ryan Gustafson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Ilitch Sports & Entertainment,

Los Angeles — It was April 4, 2021, at Comerica Park. Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo was in the dugout getting ready to make his big-league debut. A Rule 5 draftee who hadn’t played much above A-ball and hadn’t played competitive ball at all since 2019, he was a combustible bundle of nerves and excitement. And,

He was into this professional baseball thing, Kevin McGonigle was. You could tell it from the outset. He showed up in July at Lakeland, Fla., a few weeks after pocketing his high-school diploma, began hitting crisply with the Florida Complex League Tigers (.273/.467/.333/.800), then really showed off during a 12-game audition with the low-Single A

Anaheim, Calif. — It’s not like the power component wasn’t part of Jake Rogers’ offensive profile. Shoot, it wasn’t long ago that the power was the only positive component of his hitting profile. He hit 18 homers in Low-A and High-A in 2017, 17 with Double-A Erie in 2018. In 2021, he brought a 27-degree

Jackson Jobe’s debut at Double A, which long has been regarded as the big leagues’ waiting room, went smoothly Sunday in a game his Erie SeaWolves dropped, 1-0, to Richmond at UPMC Park. Jobe was brilliant: six innings, four hits, no runs, no walks, six strikeouts. He threw 76 pitches, 58 for strikes. Jobe’s fastball

Anaheim, Calif. – You want to feel good about something regarding these Tigers? Kerry Carpenter feels like he’s in a lull right now. That’s how good his season has gone. He’s been one of the most productive hitters in the American League for more than a month and he truly believes he’s not performing at

Impossible to miss for anyone eyeing Triple-A Toledo’s box scores the past few weeks has been the everyday choice at third base: Justyn-Henry Malloy. The Tigers want to know if he can be trusted at third as they get ready for 2024. He could help, for sure. The Tigers need bats, particularly on the infield’s

Anaheim, Calif. — You ask what could Tigers rookie right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long do for an encore after winning his major league debut last week? How about this: Achieving something no Tigers pitcher had done since Hall-of-Famer Jack Morris in 1977. Gipson-Long struck out 11 hitters in five innings Saturday and left with a 4-1 lead.

Anaheim, Calif. — Eduardo Rodriguez has been around long enough to sniff out a storyline well before it’s presented to him. So when a couple reporters approached him before the game, he already knew the topic. “You want to talk about L.A., right?” he said. Well, as a matter of fact. Rodriguez’s next start will

Anaheim, Calif. — Tarik Skubal was actually upset with himself after his last start, never mind that he blanked the White Sox with nine strikeouts over five, two-hit innings. It chafed him that he needed 95 pitches to get through five innings. Too many 0-2 counts that went to full counts. Too many long at-bats.

Anaheim, Calif. — The way he’s pitching these days, it’s hard to fathom that right-hander Will Vest didn’t make the Tigers’ active roster coming out of spring training. Seems like a lifetime ago, certainly for him. “I stumbled out of the gate, for sure,” he said. “I’m just happy I was able to get back

Detroit — There’s a level of intrigue these days when Reese Olson pitches. The rookie right-hander carried a no-hitter past the fifth inning for a second straight start, helping the Tigers to an 8-2 victory over Cincinnati on Thursday at Comerica Park. Olson didn’t allow a hit until Reds designated hitter Jake Fraley led off

Detroit — It doesn’t matter the sport or the time of year, the playoffs are different. Sure, the regular season is fun and the games matter. But once you get into the postseason, the games decide championships. Which is why these next couple weeks could be a great test and education for pitcher Jackson Jobe.

Detroit — Tigers manager AJ Hinch was asked about rookie Parker Meadows hours before the Tigers were beaten by the Reds 4-3 Wednesday, a game in which Meadows went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. His words foreshadowed the night. “You know, we waited 500-600 plate appearances for other guys on the team, guys who

Detroit — September baseball isn’t always aesthetically pleasing. Case in point: The Cincinnati Reds’ 4-3 win over the Tigers Wednesday at Comerica Park. The winning run came in the fourth inning and was scored on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out play at second base. True story. This one featured a combined 14 walks, a hit-batsman, a parade

Detroit — There’s always more to it than the raw numbers. But, in the matter of Tigers lefty Joey Wentz’s struggles this season, well, the numbers leave little room for interpretation or further exploration. His fastball has betrayed him. Plain and simple. Last year, he had a plus-1 run value with his four-seamer. He limited

Detroit — Andy Ibanez didn’t do the play wrong. He did exactly what the play calls for. But, by its nature, the contact play is a do-or-die proposition. On Tuesday night, the Tigers’ died by it in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Comerica Park. “We’re always going on contact there,” catcher