With injuries stacking, P¨¦rez shaping to be viable starting option in OF

LAKELAND, Fla. -- After a rookie season to remember, Wenceel P¨¦rez got on board the ¡°best-shape-of-his-life¡± theme this offseason by changing his diet, getting leaner and adding muscle. It wasn¡¯t an easy adjustment for the Tigers outfielder, who had to put on weight on his way up the Minor Leagues, but he wanted any edge he could get heading into a Spring Training competition, even if it meant turning his back on some of his favorite dishes from his native Dominican Republic.

¡°We like to cook and eat a lot of food,¡± he said, ¡°because we cook well.¡±

He took the initiative in his fight to hold onto his roster spot as an outfielder in an increasingly competitive camp. When the Tigers were in offseason talks with free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, Matt Vierling was potentially in line to become a full-time outfielder and push P¨¦rez to the fringe of the roster.

Now, with Vierling ruled out for Opening Day with a right rotator cuff muscle strain and Parker Meadows dealing with a nerve issue in his upper right arm, P¨¦rez is now a vital cog in the Tigers¡¯ outfield. Saturday marked his third start in center in four days, and while part of that had been planned before injuries, if Vierling and Meadows are both out, he¡¯s the Tigers¡¯ best option in the spot.

It's a somewhat new spot -- he started 21 games in center last season -- but a familiar role for P¨¦rez, who earned his Major League call-up last April when Andy Ib¨¢?ez was injured. P¨¦rez never went back to Triple-A Toledo.

¡°What I've learned about Wenceel is he can handle it all,¡± Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday. ¡°The bat quality is really good. His feel for the outfield is better than I think any of us expected. He's continuing to get better and can get a lot better. There may be a day when he goes back into the infield and plays both on the dirt and the grass. But last year doesn't happen without his contribution, and a lot of that was a new position at the highest level that he'd never played at. That's pretty impressive.¡±

P¨¦rez was a second baseman on his way up the Tigers system until converting to the outfield in 2023 at Double-A Erie, where he saw time in center. He didn¡¯t become a full-time outfielder until last Spring Training in big league camp.

P¨¦rez rated well in right field, including 4 Outs Above Average according to Statcast and 1 Defensive Run Saved according to FanGraphs. He rated at 0 OAA in center. Not surprisingly for a former infielder, his range rates above average, while his arm rates below average.

The biggest task for P¨¦rez in center, though, is taking command of the outfield as a whole and communicating to avoid near collisions like he had in right-center at times last summer.

¡°I think it was more about communication in the outfield, those slides in between center field and right field,¡± he said, ¡°that I have to go for it and make the [other outfielder] know that I'm going to go for it and then try to be there.¡±

P¨¦rez showed off his range during Saturday's 1-0 victory over the Phillies, recording all three outs of starting pitcher Casey Mize¡¯s third and final inning. P¨¦rez covered 97 feet of ground to run down Rodolfo Castro¡¯s 414-foot drive to straightaway center and make a highlight over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track. He then charged into shallow center for catches to retire Aidan Miller and Johan Rojas.

¡°Baseball¡¯s beautiful that way,¡± Hinch said. ¡°As soon as you start to play a guy a little bit more, the ball finds him. His jump was really good, which was important.¡±

Offensively, P¨¦rez¡¯s overall numbers -- .242/.300/.383 with a 93 OPS+ -- were a tale of two swings. Ideally, the switch-hitter would be ready for any matchup. But while P¨¦rez hit right-handed pitching for a respectable .708 OPS last year, he struggled against lefties, batting just .209/.292/.302. It was an odd split for someone who¡¯s a more natural right-handed hitter, but part of it might come from a dearth of at-bats against lefties in his role.

¡°His left-handed swing, he's got a ton of confidence and good zone control,¡± Hinch said. ¡°He swings a lot right-handed and just doesn't get near as many reps. And for him to fit on this team, the right-handed side of his offensive profile is going to have to be there.¡±

Those splits might change if P¨¦rez becomes the primary option in center.

¡°I'm always hitting more from my left side,¡± he said, ¡°but sometimes it's just like I have to catch that rhythm to make sure that I'm on time when I face the pitcher.¡±