All articles tagged with #aj hinch
The Detroit Tigers have hired former major league catcher Martín Maldonado as their quality control coach, a move that reunites him with manager AJ Hinch and pitcher Framber Valdez. Maldonado, who retired after the 2025 season, replaces Billy Boyer in the role. The hiring is seen as a strategic move to support Valdez, who struggled in his first year with Detroit, and to mentor the team's young catching corps.
The Detroit Tigers suffered a 15-2 defeat to the Minnesota Twins on September 1, 2026, at Target Field. A throwing error by catcher Dillon Dingler in the sixth inning triggered a 10-run inning for Minnesota, turning a close game into a rout. Starter Troy Melton gave up seven runs, including five earned, in 5 1/3 innings, marking a sharp decline from his previous 2.07 ERA. The loss extended Detroit's skid to seven games against Minnesota and their 14th loss in 17 games. Manager AJ Hinch criticized the team's overall effort, while the Tigers' offense managed only two runs, with Hao-Yu Lee hitting a 439-foot home run in the sixth. The defeat deepens Detroit's playoff struggles, leaving them six games behind the final American League wild-card spot.
The Detroit Tigers suffered a 15-2 defeat to the Minnesota Twins on September 1, 2026, marking their 13th loss in 16 games. While the team has integrated many rookies, manager AJ Hinch and reporters emphasized that veteran players, not youth, were primarily responsible for the collapse. The Tigers' record dropped to 63-74, falling 11 games below .500 for the first time since July 4. The game featured poor pitching from Jackson Jobe, defensive errors, and a dormant offense that scored only one run in the first six innings.
The Detroit Tigers lost 11-1 to the Minnesota Twins on August 31, marking their 13th defeat in 16 games and dropping them 11 games under .500. Starter Jackson Jobe allowed five runs in five innings, struggling with command and defensive errors behind him. The offense scored only one run, hitting just four times, while the Twins capitalized on mistakes with three home runs. Manager AJ Hinch criticized the team's execution, noting that Jobe needs to stop tinkering with mechanics and focus on competing consistently. Rookie John Peck made his major league debut in the eighth inning, and the Tigers finished the month with an 11-16 record.
The Detroit Tigers won their fifth straight game, defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-2, with key contributions from Jake Rogers and strategic pitching management by AJ Hinch, extending their lead in the AL Central.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch explained his decision to pull pitcher Tarik Skubal from a scoreless game, citing strategic reasons and player health considerations amid a long season with multiple injured starters. Hinch emphasized that the decision was made with intent and awareness of fatigue and game context, not just game strategy, and neither he nor Skubal second-guessed it. The team is preparing for upcoming series against the White Sox with a planned pitching rotation.
The Detroit Tigers' spring training opener against the New York Yankees was marred by a slew of walks and hit batsmen, resulting in a lopsided 22-10 loss. Tigers' pitchers issued 14 walks and hit five batters, while the Yankees' pitchers walked nine and hit four. Despite the forgettable performance, manager AJ Hinch found some positives to take away from the game, including rookie Colt Keith's resilience at the plate and Ryan Kreidler's exceptional defensive plays at shortstop.
Detroit Tigers newcomer Gio Urshela, signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, has the potential to become the everyday third baseman for the team in the 2024 season. While he has a clear pathway to the role due to his hitting ability and defensive skills, the team has not officially anointed him as the everyday third baseman, and his health remains a primary concern following a pelvis injury in 2023. The Tigers are optimistic about his potential impact and are closely monitoring his progress during spring training.
The Detroit Tigers have signed manager A.J. Hinch to a contract extension, keeping him with the team for the foreseeable future. The specific terms of the extension were not disclosed. Hinch, who joined the Tigers in 2021, expressed his love for the organization and his belief that they can win. The Tigers finished second in the American League Central standings in 2023. Hinch previously managed the Houston Astros, winning the World Series in 2017, but was fired due to his involvement in the team's sign-stealing scandal.
The Detroit Tigers hit three home runs to secure a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in their first game after the All-Star break. Nick Maton's two-run homer in the seventh inning proved to be the difference-maker, while Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo also contributed with home runs. The Tigers' bullpen held off a late rally by the Mariners, with Jason Foley getting ejected in the eighth inning. Despite the win, the Tigers still trail the Minnesota Twins by five games in the American League Central.
Detroit Tigers' Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after struggling offensively and defensively, posting a .163 average in 202 at-bats and a 67 wRC+. Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez showed "encouraging" progress in his recovery from a ruptured A4 pulley, and Reese Olson earned his first major-league win with a dominant slider and improved fastball. Tigers manager AJ Hinch emphasized the need for improvement and higher standards despite the team's proximity to first place in the AL Central.
The Detroit Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins, 6-3, in a 10-inning series finale at Comerica Park. Tigers third baseman Nick Maton's two miscues in the field led to the game-tying and go-ahead runs scoring in the final three innings. Coupled with his continued struggles at the plate, Tigers manager AJ Hinch made the move to option Maton to Triple-A Toledo after the game for a "mental reset." Maton took the demotion in stride and acknowledged he needs to get better in order to help the team.
Kerry Carpenter's three-run homer in the seventh inning helped the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-4 at Comerica Park. The Tigers were trailing 4-1 before Carpenter's homer, which was his sixth of the season and second in two days. Lefty reliever Tyler Alexander pitched two scoreless innings, while rookie right-hander Reese Olson produced a quality start, going six innings and allowing three earned runs with eight strikeouts. The Tigers used their bullpen to cover two full nine-inning games against the Twins before this game.
Javy Báez, the Detroit Tigers' shortstop, returned to the starting lineup for the series opener against the San Francisco Giants after being benched for forgetting how many outs there were in the previous game. Manager AJ Hinch made it clear that the team needs to improve their mental preparation and readiness on any given play. Báez, who is in the second year of a six-year, $140 million contract, is off to a rough start this season with an OPS-plus of negative-7.
Detroit Tigers fans are frustrated with Javier Baez's lack of production and poor play, which was highlighted by a base running mistake that got him benched during a recent game. Baez's struggles have been building since last year, and his six-year, $140 million contract was supposed to symbolize the end of the team's rebuild. However, the Tigers were out of the race by mid-May in 2022, and Baez was a huge part of those struggles. As the highest-paid and highest-profile player, Baez is drawing the most ire from fans when he's not performing.