Detroit News

Lakeland, Fla. — Tigers right-hander Julio Teheran, a non-roster invitee who seems on his way to winning a spot in the Tigers’ rotation, left his start against the Blue Jays Monday in Dunedin after just two innings and 30 pitches. The Tigers said Teheran experienced back tightness and was removed from the game as a

Lakeland, Fla. — AJ Hinch gave it the old soft play. He brought lefty Matthew Boyd into his office before his start last Saturday and talked to him in general terms about the pitching schedule, his between-start work and some other general housekeeping items. Then casually said, “We’re lining you up to pitch Opening Day.” Wait.

The Tigers haven’t played a game in front of fans since 2019. On April 1, Opening Day at Comerica Park, they plan to honor the fans they’ve lost in the last year. The Tigers sent a letter to fans Monday asking them to submit pictures of Michigan residents who’ve died during the COVID-19 pandemic. A

Lakeland, Fla. — Don’t mistake Michael Fulmer’s compliance and team-first willingness with acceptance. He is absolutely willing to do whatever manager AJ Hinch thinks is best to facilitate wins this season. But he isn’t ready to be slotted in as a permanent bulk reliever just yet. “I’m OK with going to the bullpen,” said Fulmer,

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a weekly series of stories in which Detroit News freelance writer Lynn Henning will rank the top prospects in July’s MLB Draft. There have been better years for MLB teams to have a Top 3, Top 5, or even Top 10 draft pick. Coronavirus has left ugly long-term

Clearwater, Fla. – Let’s not bury Michael Fulmer just yet. After two rough starts, manager AJ Hinch wanted to change the scenery a bit, so he brought the right-handed Fulmer into the middle of the Tigers’ 5-3 spring win over the Phillies on Sunday. Even though Fulmer has never pitched out of the bullpen in

Clearwater, Fla. — Desperate times call for desperate measures, especially during a pandemic. Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd was talking on Saturday about the lengths he’s gone to keep his arm in shape when he didn’t have access to a facility or a catcher. “You just have to build a Home Depot strike zone,” he said. “You

Clearwater, Fla. — The back of the Tigers starting rotation has been an unsettled topic throughout this camp. And now, 11 days from Opening Day, there is uncertainty at the top. Manager AJ Hinch said Sunday morning that right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who was in line to be the No. 1 or No. 2 starter, might have

Lakeland, Fla. — The Pirates had a runner on first with two outs in the second inning Saturday. Tigers starter Matthew Boyd, who needed 27 pitches to get through a scoreless first inning, was already at 14 pitches in the second. He didn’t need to throw another pitch. He made a quick move to first

Lakeland, Fla. — Their participation in Grapefruit League games isn’t over, but their time in big-league camp is. As expected, the Tigers Saturday reassigned their top two position player prospects — outfielder Riley Greene and third baseman Spencer Torkelson — to mini-camp. “They are really good players and I see why the organization is high

Lakeland, Fla. – He was just 20 years old and in the United States for the first time, stationed, in all places, Clinton, Iowa. A native of Nicaragua, he’d played his first two pro seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League and to feel very much like a stranger in a strange land. He was alone.

The Tigers will begin selling individual game tickets Thursday, after the state increased capacity limits to 8,200 starting with Opening Day on April 1. Tickets will be available at tigers.com, but the team said availability will be limited because priority will go to season-ticket holders. On Friday, the state eased outdoor gathering restrictions. The Tigers

Lansing — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration will allow crowds of up to 20% of capacity limits at outdoor stadiums and will impose new testing requirements for youth sports as Michigan experiences jumps in COVID-19 cases. Michigan health officials have issued a new epidemic order requiring rapid testing for all youth athletes ages 13-19 beginning April 2,

Lakeland, Fla. — You think you know a guy, right. Teammates in college. Faced each other in countless fall-ball and intrasquad games. You know what his tendencies are at the plate. Or so Casey Mize thought Friday when he flipped a first-pitch curveball to his friend and former Auburn teammate Josh Palacios leading off the

Kaline’s Project70 card is available through Topps’ website until Sunday Al Kaline fans have a new piece of art to add to their collections. Mr. Tiger is the latest player to be included in Topps’ Project70 series, a set of baseball cards featuring modern artist takes on classic players and cards. The pop art Kaline, released Friday,

Lakeland, Fla. — Niko Goodrum is tired of hearing people talking about things he doesn’t do well on a baseball field. The man is a switch-hitter and not only can he play seven positions on the diamond but he can play them well. He was a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop last year and lost his

Lakeland, Fla. – One minute you are in the conversation to be the club’s opening day starter and the next you are quarantined and can’t get into the building. Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Friday morning that right-handed starter Spencer Turnbull was being kept away from the Tiger Town facilities “for a few days” in

Lansing — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration will allow crowds of up to 20% of capacity limits at outdoor stadiums and will impose new testing requirements for youth sports. The updated order, which was released Friday morning, means that the Detroit Tigers can accommodate more than 8,200 fans for its April 1 home opener and succeeding games,

Lakeland, Fla. — Back in mid-February, before spring training got rolling, AJ Hinch looked over his roster and frankly didn’t see a lot of tough decisions ahead. “I could name the team right now,” he said. “Something would have to really surprise us.” Well, surprise! Rule 5 outfielder Akil Baddoo has been a marvel — slashing

Come month’s end, FSD will be MIA. Fox Sports Detroit will officially be rebranded as Bally Sports Detroit on March 31, the final step in Disney’s sell-off of 19 regional sports networks after acquiring them from Fox in March 2019. The U.S. Justice Department ordered the regional sports networks to be sold, to avoid monopoly