Gleyber Torres is suddenly a bench player for Team Venezuela as they prepare to play Japan Saturday in the quarterfinals of the WBC.
The Tigers’ starting second baseman had been in Miami the last 10 days and has played in just three games, getting nine plate appearances. Venezuela manager Omar Lopez has been using Luis Arraez at second base.
“Everything is fine with Gleyber (health-wise),” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Thursday morning. “But the schedule for the WBC is not conducive for the position-player ramp up.”
It’s a double-edged sword. Not only is Torres having to accept a bench role, he’s missing out on what would’ve been a much heavier build up to the season had he stayed in camp with the Tigers.
“They have a lot of guys (on Team Venezuela) and it’s hard to get the at-bats and playing time,” Hinch said. “I talked to Omar about it. All the players are playing less than they normally would in spring with the way the schedule is. It’s frustrating for Gleyber, but it’s all part of the WBC experience.”
Thursday was an off-day for the WBC and even though Torres is in Miami, he’s not allowed to drive over and play for the Tigers in the spring game against the Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium.
“He’s taking his batting practice, getting his ground balls and running, doing all the work that a player who doesn’t play a lot in the regular season does,” Hinch said. “There’s not much we can do about it. It’s just the depth they have with their team.
“I wish he was playing more.”
The WBC has fractured spring camps in both Florida and Arizona. Besides Torres, lefty Enmanuel De Jesus is also with Team Venezuela. Right-hander Keider Montero is still with Team Dominican.
Outfielder Jahmai Jones has been gone for two-plus weeks with Team Korea.
Reliever Kenley Jansen returned from Team Netherlands on Wednesday. Tarik Skubal returned after one start on Monday but now reliever Will Vest has left camp to join Team USA in Houston.
“I don’t know what the roster configuration will be for the semis and finals,” Hinch said. “But we are expecting him stay there until it’s done.”
Coaches Joey Cora (Team Puerto Rico) and George Lombard (Team USA) have been gone for two weeks and counting.
“Anyone who has players gone is having to piece it together the best they can,” Hinch said. “You want the games to go as late as possible in order for the players to be built up and ready to play. But that leaves like two or three games here and two (exhibition) games in Arizona as the only time we’re going to have the roster together that we’re going to break with for Opening Day.
“Everybody has to concede something to have this event at the time we are having it. I’m not sure there is an ideal time to pull this off.”
Three pitchers re-assigned
The Tigers Thursday assigned three non-roster pitchers to minor league camp: Relievers Tyler Mattison and Cole Waites and lefty starter Bryan Sammons.
“The innings were starting to dry up for the relievers,” Hinch said. “Starters are going deeper into games. Kenley is back and we’re going to get De Jesus back soon.”
Sammons, Hinch said, needs to get on a five-day program to be ready to pitch in the rotation at Triple-A Toledo.
Mattison an option?
It’s likely not the last we see of Mattison this season.
“It was just nice to have him in camp and not rehabbing,” Hinch said. “He has plenty of stuff to pitch at this level. He’s got to keep working on consistency and getting into count leverage.”
Mattison, with his high-rpm, mid-90s four-seam fastball and slider, struck out six in 3.1 innings this spring. But he’s also walked three.
“It looked like he had one pitch or the other and he’d end up being a one-pitch guy in a lot of his outings,” Hinch said. “But those pitches are dynamic.”
Mattison made himself an option for Hinch at some point this season.
“He’s really intriguing,” Hinch said. “It’s a different look, different stuff. He misses bats. I look forward to seeing him get his season underway and see how he factors in. I can easily see him being a candidate to help us at some point.”
Around the horn
Spencer Torkelson was sporting a multi-colored bruise on his right forearm Thursday, courtesy of a fastball thrown by teammate Burch Smith in an intrasquad game Tuesday. But he was back in the lineup, no worse for wear. Asked the most painful hit by pitch he’s taken, he recalled taking a heater off the C-flap of his helmet in his rookie season (2022), courtesy of Royals Brad Keller. He had to leave the game for concussion protocol. “He got me a bottle of tequila, though,” Torkelson said with a smile. “I told him, ‘Do it again.’ Get a free base and a bottle of tequila, heck yeah.”
… There’s the possibility of a pretty special spring pitching matchup Saturday in Dunedin. Tarik Skubal, the reigning two-time Cy Young winner will make the trip for the Tigers. The Blue Jays have tentatively aligned three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to make his first start of the spring.
… Framber Valdez will make his third start of the season on Sunday in Tampa against the Yankees.
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