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The Detroit Tigers reportedly have optioned first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Spencer Torkelson was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, and was arguably the biggest piece in the rebuild that the Tigers have attempted to pull off over the last couple of years. He was called up in 2022 and struggled before performing better in 2023. In 2024, Torkelson has struggled mightily on both sides of the ball.
So far this season, Torkelson is batting .201 with a .266 on-base percentage with four home runs and a 71 wRC_, according to FanGraphs. League average for wRC+ is 100 and the stat is used to evaluate offense, so Torkelson is well below average this season when it comes to offensive production. On the whole, he is at -0.7 WAR this season, so he has been a negative for a Tigers team that was hoping to enter contention this season.
The Tigers called up outfielder Justyn-Henry Mallow from Triple-A to take Torkelson's roster spot.
As a result of his performance, Torkelson did not play in two of the Tigers' four games at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox this weekend, and manager AJ Hinch was asked if a trip to the minors could help him out.
“I don't know,” AJ Hinch said, via Petzold. “I knew I was going to get asked the question when he sits two out of three days. We haven't talked a ton about things like that this morning. We're trying to find a way to win the game today. that's the No. 1 important thing.”
Ultimately, the Tigers did decide that a stint in Triple-A would do Torkelson well, giving him a chance to reset before trying to come back to the major league roster. On Sunday, Gio Urshela played at first base for the Tigers. It seems like he might get more starts at the position with Torkelson optioned.
What does Spencer Torkelson need to fix?
It is one thing to send Torkelson down, but it is most important that he goes to Triple-A with specific things that he needs to fix. Hinch believes that there are problems with the mechanics of his swing.
“I think there's some mechanics things with him,” Hinch said, via Petzold. “where his weight is distributed, his lower half, trusting a lot of the work he's doing in the cage to be consistent, but it's a lot harder than just an analysis or a suggestion. Everyone in his ear is trying to get him to do something positive.”
Hinch's quotes came before Sunday's game, which the Tigers won 8-4 over the Red Sox in 10 innings to get to 29-30 on the season. Detroit is four games out of a wild card spot, which is held by the Minnesota Twins. Up next are three games on the road against the Texas Rangers.
