Detroit Tigers

DETROIT — For Alex Lange, Saturday’s task was to face Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout with a one-run lead in the seventh inning. For Lange’s mindset, it had to be the same situation he has faced for most of the season. “Two more hitters I’ve got to get out,” Lange said of the Tigers’ 4-3

DETROIT — The final pitch Matt Manning threw with a runner on base Friday night came against Shohei Ohtani, with a man on first and two outs in the fifth inning. The Tigers right-hander had pitched Ohtani carefully since making his big league debut against the Angels last year, but on this occasion, he went

DETROIT — Eduardo Rodriguez has had three dominant Minor League rehab starts to prepare for Sunday, when he’ll face the Angels at Comerica Park for his first big league outing since May 18. What he did Friday was more important. The fact that Rodriguez returned on the same day the Tigers began their annual Fiesta

This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Eric Haase does not consider himself a foodie, but the Tigers catcher admits he’s starting to branch out. He’s more into eating dishes than creating them. Still, when the

CLEVELAND — Andrew Chafin struck out the side in order in the eighth inning on Wednesday night, an incredible task against a Guardians offense that has the lowest strikeout rate in the Majors. Then the ball skipped past catcher Eric Haase and rolled to the backstop, sending Luke Maile to first base, and Chafin’s task

CLEVELAND — The injury bug that has decimated the Tigers’ pitching staff has now struck the most important arm in their present and future. Left-hander Tarik Skubal, who rose from ninth-round Draft pick to front-line starter amidst a breakout season, underwent successful surgery on the flexor tendon in his left elbow. Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed

CLEVELAND — Kerry Carpenter can remember the game where his revamped swing locked in after a slow opening month. It was a road game against the Guardians’ Double-A affiliate. “The last day of our series in Akron in May,” Carpenter recalled a couple of months ago. “That was the day where I told one of

The Tigers have moved out of the days when Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson topped their prospect rankings, just as they graduated Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning from prospect status a year before. Now comes the test of what Detroit’s investment in player development can do with the next level of talent. It’s

CLEVELAND — The buzz hadn’t stopped in the Progressive Field crowd from Jonathan Schoop’s go-ahead home run, the consternation still simmering over Mustard’s latest loss in the Hot Dog Derby, when Kerry Carpenter jumped a first-pitch fastball from Eli Morgan in the sixth inning. He sent it to nearly the same spot as his double

From magical tags to circus catches, Javier Báez can do just about anything on a baseball field. Even hitting 92 mph sliders off the bounce, apparently. During the ninth inning of Cleveland’s 4-1 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader Monday, the Tigers shortstop swatted an 0-2 slider from Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase that hit

This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. The last time the Tigers searched for a new chief baseball executive, Comerica Park was just a couple seasons old, Phil Garner was the manager and the roster included

CHICAGO — Tyler Alexander was in prime position to give the Tigers five strong innings of one-run baseball. But a rough fifth frame wiped that away as frustration started to build for the left-hander.  That inning led to Alexander being handed his fourth consecutive defeat in the Tigers’ 5-3 loss to the White Sox on

After being called up on Wednesday, Carpenter logged his first Major League hit in the Tigers’ 6-4 loss against the White Sox on Saturday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. “Obviously, happy for him,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Those are big moments. You know, he probably feels like he belongs now a little bit more than

CHICAGO — The news keeps getting worse for the Tigers.  Though there was nothing alarming with Tarik Skubal’s imaging done last week on his left arm, there is now some concern with his injury. The 25-year-old was transferred to the 60-day injured list ahead of Friday’s matchup against the White Sox.  The move, later confirmed

You didn’t think the roster additions were finished at the Trade Deadline, did you? There are still several internal improvements clubs could make down the stretch, many of which could have big impacts on the 2022 playoff rush. Some of them could be household prospect names, like Francisco Álvarez or Corbin Carroll. Others could be

DETROIT — Javier Báez’s Major League-leading 18th error of the season was a mistake of ambition, a well-intended but hurried attempt at an inning-ending double play in the second that went wide of first base to score the first of two unearned runs off Tigers starter Garrett Hill. Four innings later, Báez made his latest

Pick your favorite defensive moment in the Greatest. Play. Ever. Bracket Sweepstakes Presented by Pixel Vault for a chance to win tickets to a 2022 regular-season game of your choice. Restrictions apply, see rules and vote at mlb.com/bracket today. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Starts 12:00 am ET on August 11, 2022 and

This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. What does it feel like for a hitter when he gets on a tear like Kerry Carpenter did in May, when he hit .411 with 13 home runs in

DETROIT — For nearly two seasons now, A.J. Hinch has emphasized to his players the importance of focusing on winning that day’s game. Don’t worry about the past or look too far into the future. Don’t worry about forces outside of your control. Just focus on winning the game. In that sense, it isn’t a

DETROIT — The Tigers on Wednesday parted ways with vice president/general manager Al Avila, who led the team through a difficult rebuild but paid the price for a disappointing 2022 season. Sam Menzin, vice president and assistant GM, will continue as the day-to-day point of the contact for the baseball operations department, the club announced.