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Detroit Tigers option former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo
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- Detroit Tigers option former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo
BOSTON — The Detroit Tigers have optioned first baseman Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers informed Torkelson — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft — of their decision after Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, according to multiple sources who are not at liberty to discuss roster moves publicly.
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In the 2024 season, Torkelson is hitting .201 with four home runs, 16 walks (7% walk rate) and 56 strikeouts (24.4% strikeout rate) in 54 games, also worth minus-5 defensive runs saved at first base.
Torkelson has been sent down to the Mud Hens for the second time in three MLB seasons. The 24-year-old is a career .218 hitter with a .683 OPS in 323 games, a span of 1,318 plate appearances.
EARLIER TODAY: Does Spencer Torkelson need demotion to Triple-A? This time, A.J. Hinch didn't say no
Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) celebrates with a foam pizza prop after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Before Sunday's game, manager A.J. Hinch suggested Torkelson could be demoted to Triple-A Toledo because of performance issues after not playing him in two of the four games at Fenway Park.
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"I don't know," Hinch said before Sunday's game. "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."
COMING UP: Tigers promote Justyn-Henry Malloy from Triple-A Toledo for MLB debut
To replace Torkelson, the Tigers promoted outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy from Triple-A Toledo .
Malloy, an outfield prospect acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Braves by president of baseball operations Scott Harris in December 2022, is joining the Tigers on Monday for their three-game series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, according to multiple sources.
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He draws walks at an elite rate, but his passive approach comes with the downside of too many strikeouts.
It's unclear how the Tigers plan to fill first base in Torkelson's absence, but several players — including outfielder Mark Canha , third baseman Gio Urshela and infielder Andy Ibáñez — have experience at first base in their MLB careers. Urshela replaced Torkelson at first base for the two games against the Red Sox.
Torkelson went 3-for-37 (.081) with three walks and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games, as part of an even worse 3-for-40 (.075) stretch that goes back to May 19. He went 0-for-16 (.000) with zero walks and nine strikeouts across his last four games.
The biggest issue is Torkelson has struggled to get his swing on time for high-velocity fastballs, likely as a result of swing mechanics that need to be adjusted.
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"I think there's some mechanics things with him," Hinch said before Sunday's game, "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."
Torkelson is hitting .179 (with a .199 expected batting average) against fastballs this season. He hit two of his four homers off fastballs, but both of those homers were against left-handed pitchers, so it's no surprise that he's hitting .148 against righty fastballs and .280 against lefty fastballs.
Last season, Torkelson hit 31 home runs across 159 games.
Malloy, 24, is hitting .253 with six home runs, 39 walks (20.1% walk rate) and 52 strikeouts (26.8% strikeout rate) across 45 games in Triple-A Toledo, spanning 195 plate appearances. He has played 187⅔ innings in left field and 115 innings in right field for the Mud Hens, also making seven starts at designated hitter.
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers sending 1B Spencer Torkelson to Triple-A Toledo
