Detroit Tigers Roster
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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson will open the 2022 season out of the team's five-hole as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Shane McClanahan on Thursday. Plenty of eyes will be on the 2020 No. 1 overall pick this season after a vastly underwhelming MLB debut that saw him hit just .203 with eight home runs and a .604 OPS across 110 games with the Tigers last season. Despite making plenty of hard contact, Torkelson hit just .268 with one HR and three doubles alongside a .692 OPS across 20 Grapefruit League games this spring. Nonetheless, he should get every opportunity to bounce back with a strong sophomore season in 2023.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is scheduled to hit third in the club's lineup on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Green debuted at the age of 21 with five home runs, one stolen base, a .683 OPS, and 98 wRC+ in the 2022 season but expectations are much bigger this time around. The lefty-swinging Greene enjoyed a big spring that saw him hit .308 with four HR, two doubles, a triple, and a .960 OPS across 52 Grapefruit League at-bats. Green routinely hit for plenty of average and power throughout his rise to the big leagues after being taken with the fifth overall pick of the 2019 draft. He could move into the two-hole against righties but will settle into the third spot as the Tigers take on Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan Thursday.
Detroit Tigers utility player Matt Vierling is leading off for the Tigers on Opening Day in what marks his debut with his new club. Acquired in an off-season trade with the Phillies that sent Tigers closer Gregory Soto to Philadelphia, Vierling hit .246 with six home runs, seven stolen bases, and a .648 OPS across 117 games with the Phillies last season. However, Vierling has displayed a solid combination of pop and speed in his minor-league career and has just 151 career MLB appearances under his belt approaching his age-26 season. As the lone right-handed hitting option the Tigers broke camp with, expect Vierling to regularly hit leadoff against left-handed pitching beginning Thursday against Rays southpaw Shane McClanahan.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd is lined up to start the team's fourth game of the season on Monday on the road against the Houston Astros. Eduardo Rodriguez, Spencer Turnbull and Joey Wentz will start the first three games of the season in the opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Manning will go on Tuesday against Houston. Boyd, a 32-year-old southpaw, made his return late last season after having flexor-tendon surgery on his left arm and was pretty impressive with the Seattle Mariners in a relief role. He'll be used as a starter in 2023, though, and likely workload restrictions are what will mostly keep his fantasy appeal limited.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told relief pitchers Mason Englert, Trey Wingenter, Chasen Shreve and Garrett Hill that they have made the team's Opening Day roster out of the bullpen. Also in Detroit's bullpen will be closer Alex Lange, Jose Cisnero, Jason Foley and Tyler Alexander. Englert is a Rule 5 draft pick, so he'll need to stay on the team's roster the entire year if they want to keep him around beyond this season. The 23-year-old right-hander will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game for the Tigers in 2023. He had a nice 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, two walks and 14 strikeouts in 12 Grapefruit League innings after posting a 3.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 136 K's in two minor-league levels in 2022.
