It’s day 2 for Woodward Sports down at Detroit Tigers spring training camp as the Tigers prepare for their Grapefruit Opener on Saturday against the Phillies. Manager A.J. Hinch named the starters for the first three games. Saturday, right-hander Garrett Hill will get the nod then on Sunday, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez will start. Then, for the Tigers’ first road game against the Yankees in Tampa, Beau Brieske will get the start.
Before the morning workouts, Hinch spoke about Akil Baddoo and left-hander Chasen Shreve, who are both fighting for a spot on the Opening Day Roster.
Baddoo is a good player, and he’s learned a lot, you know, from breaking into the big leagues, to last year, the up and down season, to the dedicated work that he did to get to the big leagues will tell you quickly what you don’t do well what you do well and how you counter punch. And I think Akil took this off season to reshape some things within his game and hopefully contribute better, and he’s an exciting player, he can do a ton of things on the field. He’s in a pretty fierce competition to make our roster.
Hinch mentioned Shreve’s splits, as he was once a lefty specialist. But once the minimum three out role came into effect, his role change, but he could still get outs on both sides of the plate. For his career, lefties are hitting just .231 against him, with just 21 home runs. (Righties hit .226). He throws a four-seamer and a splitter that hitters hit just .126 against in 2022. If he can sequence that pitch with his fastball and locate it effectively, the Tigers could have a solid vet out of their bullpen.
Spencer Turnbull looks to return to the Detroit Tigers’ rotation
Spencer Turnbull threw his first live batting practice and looked sharp.
After he finished, he shook hands with Chris Fetter. A.J. Hinch put his arm around him and smiled.
“It’s been a while since I’ve faced a live hitter,” Turnbull said. #Tigers pic.twitter.com/Aj2C5XFYNj
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) February 23, 2023
Turnbull felt more of an adrenaline during the bullpen session than facing live hitters, but mainly it was nerves today as he was trying to get a feel for his secondary pitches, a slider, change, and curve. Turnbull was one of the most consistent starters before his injury and if he can give the Tigers innings this season, it would be a welcomed sight.
