'It feels good': Báez back in spring action following hip surgery

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The swing was classic Javier Báez, an aggressive approach at a ball and a well-struck line drive that carried out to left. It was Saturday morning batting practice on the back fields, but it was big for the Tigers, and for Báez.

“I just started swinging 100 percent a couple weeks ago,” he explained earlier. “Been hitting off the machine, and it feels good.”

Teammates around the cage noticed. So did manager A.J. Hinch behind the cage.

“He’s trending healthy,” Hinch said earlier. “Now that he can feel better and got in a lot of work this offseason, he’ll transition into being more and more active in the practice sense, and then eventually games. Hopefully, he can play with some freedom knowing that some of his ailments that he’s tried to overcome in the last few years have been resolved. He is happy.”

While the Tigers made their postseason run last fall, Báez was a spectator, barely able to walk on his own. The right hip surgery that ended his season in August was extensive, and the rehab was grueling, requiring equal parts intensity and patience.

That was a test for Báez, who wanted to attack the rehab like he attacks a first-pitch fastball. He tends to focus his best in the big moments, and he couldn’t do anything for the Tigers’ biggest games in a decade.

“Oh yeah, it was very hard,” Báez said. “After the surgery, I was working out like I was coming back for the playoffs, and I still had four months to go.”

The Tigers went on their late-season tear without Báez. Whether they did so in spite of his absence was a hot topic among fans who watched his struggles for the past couple years. Trey Sweeney, called up in mid-August for his MLB debut after arriving from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade, posted a higher bWAR (0.7) in 36 games than Báez (minus-1.1) in 80, or Báez over 136 games in 2023 (0.6).

The hip and the back hobbled Báez for a while. The Tigers had brought up surgery as an option earlier last season, Báez said on Saturday, but he wanted to stay on the field.

“I know how important winning is to him,” Hinch said. “I know how important being there for his teammates [is]. The game stuff is a small snippet that people get to see … but he’s beloved because of the time, the effort, the energy, the personality, the vibe.”

Báez finally had the procedure last August when the Tigers told him waiting until season’s end could cost him the start of 2025.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m hard-headed, trying not to get surgery,” Báez said. “But honestly it helped me. The day after surgery, I felt [better] with more balance. I never had surgery before, so it was hard for me, this slow process. I trust the surgery and what they say about it. I feel good right now.”

Báez is taking full batting practice and fielding drills. He isn’t running at full speed yet, but he’s making progress and could run the bases soon. He’s expected to play in games this Spring Training, at which point we’ll see what a healthy Báez looks like, and what kind of impact he can make. His role as a Tiger likely depends on how that looks.

Detroit loves what it saw from Sweeney, who worked this offseason on cutting down on his strikeouts. The club also loves what Báez brings when he’s at his dynamic best. His highlight defense, his push-the-envelope baserunning fit the style the Tigers rode to success without him.

“I feel a whole lot better about the shortstop position now that he has gotten the hip surgery and he’s feeling better and he’s looking better,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “But I also feel a lot better now that we have Trey Sweeney, who has emerged as one of those guys that’s just starting to see the game slow down a little bit.”

Ultimately, the Tigers could platoon them and try to get the best of both. Before that, they have to see what Báez can do.

“We’d like him to be the best player he can be, and he can really help us,” Hinch said. “Where that slots in, factors in, I'm kind of refusing to talk about until I actually see him healthy and free of the issues that he’s had to deal with.”