It took him five games, but Tigers rookie Spencer Torkelson finally got the monkey off his back, doubling for his first major-league hit in Tuesday’s matinee against Boston. Finding a hole between Christian Arroyo and Kiké Hernandez in right field, Torkelson must have felt a tremendous sense of relief, ending a disastrous 0-for-10 dry spell to begin his debut season.
The 22-year-old’s double came off elder statesman Rich Hill, who, remarkably, was drafted the same year Torkelson was born (1999). Hill debuted for the Cubs in 2005, about the time Torkelson was finishing up kindergarten.
Among active big-leaguers, only Cardinals fossil Albert Pujols is older than Hill, who turned 42 last month. Despite his age, the veteran left-hander remains plenty effective, pitching to a respectable 3.86 ERA over 32 appearances (31 starts) for the Rays and Mets last season.
Selected with the first pick of the 2020 draft, Torkelson is MLB.com’s fourth-ranked prospect and No. 1 in Detroit’s farm system.
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