Jace Jung is up, Ryan Kreidler is down and Javier Baez is taking over in center field. Just another day for the Tigers as they try to stay atop the AL Central amid injuries to key outfielders Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling.
The Tigers have recalled Jung from Triple-A and sent Kreidler back to Toledo, opening the door for Jung to get reps at third base. Jung failed to make the team out of camp after struggling at the plate, but has an .872 OPS so far in Toledo, buoyed by an on-base percentage north of .400. The former first-round pick and top-100 prospect gives the Tigers another left-handed bat with some pop.
Kreidler's bat gave the Tigers nothing, and his defense in center wasn't strong enough to make up for it. He was hitting .105 in 17 games, with 19 strikeouts to two walks. The Tigers had hoped his instincts and athleticism at shortstop would translate to center while they await the return of Meadows, but it didn't work out.
Kriedler started 14 of the Tigers' first 23 games in center field. For now, the Tigers will turn the position over to another shortstop in Baez, A.J. Hinch said Monday before the start of a three-game series with the Padres. Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry will also log some time in center, but it sounds like Baez's job for the time being.
A Gold Glover at shortstop, Baez said this spring that he always dreamed of patrolling center field in the big leagues. He'll make his first career start there Monday night after playing a handful of innings at the position in the early part of this season. Hinch called him Sunday night to deliver the news and said that Baez's "enthusiasm is through the roof."
"He’s willing to do anything, which is great, and certainly makes it easier on me and on us," said Hinch. "He’s put in a lot of work, so I think part of this for him is to now get to go use that work in a game, and fairly regularly. He’s going to get a lot of innings out there, and obviously he wants to do well.
"There’s going to be some leaning curve for him, just as there is for anybody that’s not playing a primary position, but he can do it."
Baez is hitting .268 through 17 games, a dramatic improvement on last year's mark of .184 after undergoing surgery on his hip last September to improve his mobility at the plate.
The Tigers enter Monday night's game a half game up on the Guardians in the AL Central at 13-9.