Baddoo has surgery on fractured hand, likely out for spring

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Outfielder Akil Baddoo underwent surgery Thursday to repair a hook fracture of the hamate bone in his right hand, the Tigers announced on Friday.

Baddoo, who’s in camp as a non-roster invitee after re-signing with the organization on a Minor League contract, had been experiencing wrist soreness since arriving in camp, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Baddoo underwent tests after the discomfort continued into the start of full-squad workouts this week.

The Tigers didn’t give a projected timetable for Baddoo’s recovery, but a hamate fracture with surgery typically takes 4-8 weeks for a return to game action. Fellow Tiger Ryan Kreidler suffered a similar injury with Triple-A Toledo in 2022 and missed just more than a month.

“If there’s a silver lining, it’s that it happened now, and he can absorb some of [the missed time] in the spring and not miss too much of the season,” Hinch said. “But he’s clearly out for the spring.”

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Baddoo was a long shot to make the Tigers’ roster out of Spring Training, but he has become a key part of Detroit’s depth, having spent five stints with the club last season. Though the Tigers removed him from the 40-man roster at the end of last season, he still has a Minor League option remaining, so they could purchase his contract to call him up and send him back down without designating him for assignment again.

Hinch to miss Spring Training opener
While the Tigers open Grapefruit League play on Saturday against the Phillies at Joker Marchant Stadium, Hinch will be away from the team to attend the funeral of former Orioles player and longtime coach Rich Dauer, who died on Feb. 3.

Dauer was a member of Hinch’s coaching staff with Houston in 2017, when the Astros won the World Series. Dauer fell during the World Series parade and suffered a head injury, leading to an acute subdural hematoma that required emergency surgery. Dauer recovered and threw a ceremonial first pitch to Hinch at an Astros game the following April, but he suffered a stroke in ‘22.

“Special man,” said Hinch, who shared memories of their time together Friday morning. Among them was the story Dauer told Hinch -- whose pinch-hitting aggressiveness began in Houston -- about legendary Orioles manager Earl Weaver once pinch-hitting for Dauer in the first inning of a game.

With Hinch away, bench coach George Lombard will manage the Tigers on Saturday, reprising a role he often takes on for split-squad games in Spring Training.

Hair today, hair to stay
The Yankees’ announcement Friday morning that they will relax their rules on facial hair to allow “well-groomed” beards caught Tigers infielder and former Yankee Gleyber Torres by surprise. Torres reported to camp with a beard that he could not have grown as a Yankee for the previous seven seasons.

“It’s kind of surprising to me,” an initially skeptical Torres said. “But I think it’s fine, because I know many guys there want to get some beards.”

Traffic alert
With Lakeland Hills Boulevard under construction and down from four lanes to two outside of Joker Marchant Stadium, the Tigers are advising fans heading to the park Saturday to use alternate entrances off Bella Vista Street (south of the park) and Granada Street (north of the park). There’s also a Tigertown Express shuttle to and from the park, with pickup locations at designated spots around town.

Day 5 highlights

• Just two pitchers threw live batting practice on Friday in the Tigers’ final workout before Grapefruit League games begin on Saturday. Tarik Skubal and Ty Madden both threw extended sessions of two innings to build up from their first sessions Tuesday. They’ll line up at the back of the rotation for Spring Training. “I should tell [Skubal], ‘You’re a back-end starter,’” Hinch joked.
• Kerry Carpenter, who talked early in camp about looking to face more left-handed pitchers, has faced a lefty in live batting practice each of the past three days. On Friday, the lefty was Skubal, and Carpenter’s struggles weren’t surprising. But there’s value in tracking pitches. “I felt more comfortable than the days before,” Carpenter said, “just because when I see it every day, it’s nice to see that angle.”
• Happy 67th birthday to Hall of Famer and Tigers special assistant Alan Trammell.