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Spencer Turnbull talks drama with Detroit Tigers in return to Comerica Park with Phillies
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- Spencer Turnbull talks drama with Detroit Tigers in return to Comerica Park with Phillies
Former Detroit Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull joked about his emotions in his return to Comerica Park.
"Zero emotions, whatsoever," Turnbull said, smiling.
Turnbull, who is pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies this season after spending the first five seasons of his MLB career with the Tigers, is trying to stay focused on Wednesday's start against his old team, but he knows it's going to be different than any other start.
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He wants to shove against the Tigers.
"I'm excited," Turnbull said. "I'll try not to put too much pressure on one game or whatever. I don't want to give much credit to a revenge tour or whatever. I'm sure I'll have some extra emotions and adrenaline. I'll try to have fun doing it, but I'll try to block out the noise. It'll feel different."
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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) looks on before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 5, 2024.
Remember, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris chose not to have Turnbull on the Tigers' roster this season, rather than paying him a projected $2.4 million . There was a lot of drama between Turnbull and Harris last season, which included Turnbull's 7.26 ERA across seven starts, a request for a trade and injuries reversing two options to Triple-A Toledo to accrue additional MLB service time. The saga finally ended last November when Harris declined to tender Turnbull a contract for the 2024 season , dumping him into free agency.
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It was a bad situation.
Still, Turnbull said he wouldn't have changed anything.
"There's a lot of things that were out of my hands, out of my control," Turnbull said. "I didn't really really have a lot of say in a lot of stuff that went down last year. All the drama or whatever it was, all the negative press and things like that, nobody knows the real story. No one knows really what happened, but it was definitely not the spin that was maybe told about me, but I try not to really worry about it. It is what it is. I don't care too much about how that was framed."
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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on May 15, 2024.
But Turnbull, who posted a 4.55 ERA as a Tiger and turned in a defining highlight with his no-hitter in May 2021, eventually admitted he wishes his tenure with the Tigers wouldn't have ended the way it did.
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It was time for the two sides to go their separate ways, but it wasn't a clean breakup.
"Last year was really hard, really tough, not a lot of fun," Turnbull said. "It wasn't how I would have liked things to end here in Detroit, but it wasn't my choice for things to go down that way. It was just kind of how it happened."
Before Monday's series opener, Turnbull talked to manager A.J. Hinch on the infield dirt while the Tigers took batting practice. He also checked in with old teammates, coaches and support staffers, even hugging a public relations director.
He called the non-tender a "blessing in disguise."
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His life after the Tigers has been outstanding.
Off the field, Turnbull got engaged and married (to social media influencer Ashley Terkeurst ), and they just announced a pregnancy. On the field, Turnbull — who signed a one-year, $2 million contract — has a 2.63 ERA with 18 walks and 56 strikeouts across 51⅓ innings with the best team in the National League.
"I'm really happy," Turnbull said. "We love Philly. I got married in the offseason, and now I got a little one on the way, coming late November, so hopefully right after we get some new hardware. Get a ring, and then have a baby a few weeks later. It'll be pretty awesome."
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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Spencer Turnbull (22) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 21, 2024.
Turnbull has started just six of his 16 games with the Phillies.
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The only reason Turnbull will start Wednesday against the Tigers is because he's filling in for right-hander Taijuan Walker — who landed on the injured list with a finger blister — in the rotation until further notice.
Hinch, who managed Turnbull from 2021-23, shared his observation of Turnbull with the Phillies in 2024.
"I think the thing that's been the most interesting for him is the change in role," Hinch said. "He's pretty methodical in how he goes about his work and his throwing and his routines and his habits. Not only staying healthy, but staying healthy in a new role has probably opened his own eyes to what's possible for him. The change in role, both mentally and physically for him, he's adaptable."
Turnbull, who expects to throw a maximum of 70 pitches in Wednesday's start, doesn't have any problems pitching out of the bullpen for the Phillies. He owns a 1.67 ERA in six starts and a 4.26 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
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He still views himself as a starter going forward.
Turnbull will become a free agent again at the end of this season.
"I want to do whatever I can to help the team win, whatever role that is," Turnbull said. "It's no secret that I prefer starting. I'm comfortable with it. It's what I've always done. It's what I want to do in my future. But right now, I'm happy doing whatever, and I want to win. This team has a really good chance to compete for a World Series this year, and that's our goal."
Castellanos returns, too
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos , a member of the Tigers from 2013-19, is playing in front of fans at Comerica Park for the first time since the Tigers traded him to the Chicago Cubs at the 2019 trade deadline .
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates with his team after hitting a game winning RBI double during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 18, 2024.
Since leaving the Tigers, Castellanos has played for the Cubs (2019), Cincinnati Reds (2020-21) and Phillies (2022-24). He wishes he could've stayed with the Tigers for his entire MLB career, but the Tigers traded him to the Cubs for minor-league relievers Alex Lange and Paul Richan before he became a free agent.
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"I'm extremely fortunate, but also sad on what was left behind," Castellanos said. "The kid in me wanted the opportunity to be like José Ramírez is now with the ( Cleveland Guardians ), just somebody who is able to stay in one place the whole time. Even if you're in one city for 15 years of losing, and in the 16th year, you win that one ring, it makes all that (expletive) worth it. I was sad to see that float away, but I was excited for a new opportunity."
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Castellanos returned to Comerica Park for the first time with the Reds in 2020, but there weren't any fans in the stands because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before Monday's game, Castellanos received subtle applause from the fans when his name was introduced as part of the Phillies' starting lineup.
He visited his family when the Phillies arrived in Detroit. His grandparents live in Dearborn, his aunt lives in Grosse Pointe and his mother grew up in Michigan.
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"I have a suite today," Castellanos said. "I got my grandparents and aunts and cousins and stuff that are going to make it out today. Today is the game where everybody is coming to, and then the family that couldn't make it to today, we're leaving tickets for them Tuesday and Wednesday."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spencer Turnbull talks Detroit Tigers drama in Comerica Park return
