A week ago, A.J. Hinch wasn't ready to drop Jeimer Candelario in the Tigers' lineup.
Asked after last Tuesday's loss to the Yankees in which Candelario struck out three times in four at-bats if he would consider moving his third baseman out of the four hole to take some pressure off his shoulders, Hinch said, "Nah, there’s no pressure. I mean, there’s pressure every time you get up to bat at this level."
Back in the cleanup spot the next night, Candelario went 2-4 with a double. But it wasn't the spark Hinch was hoping for: Candelario went 2-16 to finish Detroit's homestand. When the Tigers begin a six-game road trip Tuesday night in Minnesota, Candelario will be hitting sixth. And Jonathan Schoop, who has also been a middle-of-the-order staple, will be hitting seventh.
Moving up: rookie Spencer Torkelson, who will bat fifth behind Miguel Cabrera.
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These were necessary changes for Hinch as he tries to kickstart a sluggish offense. The Tigers, 6-9 entering play Tuesday, are 12th in the AL in runs and 14th in slugging percentage (.324) in large part because two linchpins of their lineup have been slow out of the gate: Candelario, who tied for the MLB-lead in doubles last season, is hitting .158 and slugging .211 and Schoop is hitting .155 and slugging .241. They have three extra-base hits each.
Torkelson, meanwhile, leads the Tigers in homers (3) and ranks second to only Austin Meadows with a slugging percentage of .435. Together, they are responsible for half the team's RBI's.
The Tigers will need more out of Candelario and Schoop to do anything of note this season, Candelario in particular. He was their most productive hitter a year ago and they were counting on him to take another step this year. But his walk rate is down, along with his power, and his strikeout rate is up. Good news is, it's only April.
"It’s been a slow start for him, it’s obvious," Hinch said last week. "I think teams are spinning him and then he’s chased the high fastball, and that's a tough combo to start the year. I have no lack of confidence in him. He’s going to keep getting run out there. I do hope he’s one swing or two swings away from gaining a little bit of momentum, but controlling the strike zone would be the biggest adjustment.
"It’s easier said than done, it’s certainly easier from my seat compared to the batter’s box, but I think he would even tell you that he’s swinging at a few too many pitches to control the strike zone and control the at-bat."
Torkelson, on the other hand, has consistently put up some of the best at-bats on the team, a 22-year-old rookie who looks more like a vet. His boost in the lineup is well-earned. So it is for Cabrera, who began the year hitting fifth but has climbed back into the cleanup spot with an average of .319.
Eventually, Candelario will reclaim his spot in the middle of the order. Schoop might, too. But with the Tigers in danger of digging themselves another April hole, this was a move that Hinch couldn't want any longer to make.