LAKELAND, Fla. -- Spencer Torkelson had to borrow a teammate¡¯s outfield glove when the Tigers first approached him in camp about getting work in right field. He finally got his own glove, but now he has to break it in.
Jahmai Jones suggested placing the glove in a hot tub for a few minutes, wrapping some baseballs in it and letting it dry out. Others have suggested microwaving it, or the tried-and-true method of tucking it under the mattress before going to bed.
It¡¯s a little more detailed process than for Torkelson¡¯s first-base glove, which he can usually break in by taking throws in practice. Still, Torkelson said on Tuesday, he¡¯s coming around to it.
Few would¡¯ve imagined this debate going on with Torkelson a year ago, when he looked like Detroit¡¯s fixture at first base coming off a 31-homer season. Miguel Cabrera¡¯s farewell appearance at first base in the 2023 finale happened with Miggy using Tork¡¯s glove.
The situation flipped after a frustrating 2024 campaign, a stint at Triple-A Toledo and a move to first for Colt Keith. Torkelson arrived at camp looking more likely to don a different uniform than a different glove for a new position.
But for all the glove talk, Torkelson has become the epitome of baseball¡¯s age-old adage: Hit the ball and a team will find a spot for you. And arguably no one in Tigers camp has hit better this Spring Training than Torkelson, whose spring history was best known for a can-opener injury in his first camp in 2021.
¡°We always want to play the guys that hit,¡± manager A.J. Hinch said last week after Torkelson¡¯s fourth home run of the spring. ¡°You can play your way into the lineup. I¡¯ve said that over and over again. And this is a good example.¡±
Torkelson was back at first base for a day on Wednesday afternoon, batting third and going 2-for-3 in Detroit's 6-4 loss to Boston in Fort Myers. Torkelson is batting .325 (13-for-40) and his four homers are twice as many as he had in four Spring Trainings before this, while his nine RBIs are a best for him in the Grapefruit League. After acknowledging at the start of camp that he had work to do and something to prove, he has done exactly that.
¡°I¡¯m not na?ve to this business, this situation,¡± Torkelson said on the first day of camp. ¡°I haven¡¯t shown that I can play consistent, and there¡¯s people that have decisions to make, important decisions. I haven¡¯t given them a real solid belief to trust me to this point.¡±
The more Torkelson hits, the more that belief grows. And with the Tigers looking for a good right-handed bat after Alex Bregman signed with the Red Sox and Matt Vierling strained a muscle in his right rotator cuff, Torkelson¡¯s renaissance couldn¡¯t have come at a better time for himself or the team.
¡°A lot to like with how his spring has gone,¡± Hinch said last week. ¡°He¡¯s stayed grounded in his process, and he¡¯s gotten some good pitches to hit.¡±
Torkelson¡¯s process has simplified, putting him in a position to react and hit. His stance at the plate is a bit different but not overhauled, and he has been quicker to the ball. He has found opposite-field power after becoming pull-dominant in recent years.
¡°Gosh, I feel great,¡± Torkelson said after his two-homer game against the Orioles on March 7. ¡°I¡¯m being athletic, putting a good swing on the ball and being really disciplined with my approach. And that¡¯s what it takes.¡±
Torkelson didn¡¯t see a fly ball in right field in his start there on Monday, but he still had plenty of work, including running down a drive into the corner and trying a throw to third.
¡°I think he learned that you do a lot of running in the outfield, just to back up,¡± Hinch said.
More to the point, they¡¯re trying to build a role. Torkelson is unlikely to start in right field, but if he can spend a few innings there after a pinch-hit appearance -- maybe for Kerry Carpenter against a lefty -- he becomes an easier fit on a four-man bench and a better weapon to deploy in matchups.
Torkelson has compared the challenge to his freshman season at Arizona State, when he came in without much fanfare and had to win a starting job. He not only did that, but he earned All-American honors and led the nation with 25 home runs.
Time will tell if Torkelson can do anything similar once the season begins, but his comeback has at least put himself in position for a roster spot that seemingly was lost a couple months ago.