Jake Rogers homers again as Tigers sweep A’s

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Tigers took it easy on Dingler heading into the All-Star break, so we wouldn’t be stunned if he misses this weekend series. Jake Rogers is taking over at catcher and batting ninth against the Phillies tonight.

No surprise here with a quick early-afternoon turnaround after Dingler handled the catching duties during Friday night’s series opener. The 27-year-old backstop somehow wasn’t a finalist for the American League in All-Star balloting, but he deserves to be there on the strength of a 19-homer breakthrough campaign. It’ll be Jake Rogers behind the plate on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Dingler is off to a strong start, slashing .271/.364/.500 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He also has a 55 percent hard-hit rate with a 92 mph average exit velocity that is up two mph from what he posted last year. It’s a small sample size, but Dingler is firmly on the radar in one-catcher leagues. Jake Rogers will catch and bat ninth.

Rogers was diagnosed with a concussion last week following a mishap during a training drill. The 30-year-old backstop will be ready for Thursday’s season opener against the Padres. He’ll serve as a backup to starter Dillon Dingler this season.

Rogers was injured in a bizarre mishap during a training drill when his own bat struck him in the face, requiring multiple stitches. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready in time for Opening Day. He’ll serve as a backup to starter Dillon Dingler this season.

McGonigle’s ability to generate consistent hard contact in tandem with elite contact skills at such a young age makes it strangely difficult to imagine a future where he isn’t an impactful fantasy contributor. That future might become reality in a few weeks on Opening Day. The 21-year-old prodigy’s path to a spot on Detroit’s season-opening roster got easier with Trey Sweeney sidelined with a shoulder injury and leaves super utility specialist Zach McKinstry as the lone obstacle in his way. A strong performance in Grapefruit League exhibition contests would make it extremely challenging for the Tigers to ship him back to the minors. He’ll be a popular sleeper candidate in all fantasy drafts this spring, especially if he starts making some noise at the dish. Here is the full lineup: Jahmai Jones (RF), McGonigle (SS), Gleyber Torres (2B), Colt Keith (3B), Jake Rogers (DH), Jace Jung (1B), Trei Cruz (CF), Eduardo Valencia (C) and Corey Julks (LF).

Rogers is one of the better defensive backstops in baseball, and the 30-year-old will remain the backup catch behind Dillon Dingler for the 2026 campaign.

Rogers finally broke through and got the Tigers on the board with a 407-foot (101.2 mph EV) three-run shot off of Mitch Keller that pulled his club to within two runs at 5-3 in the fifth inning. That would be as close as they would get. The 30-year-old backstop finished the night 1-for-3 and is now hitting .167/.282/.306 with two homers and 11 RBI on the season.

Rogers contributed 21 homers in 2023 and 10 last year, but he has just 68 plate appearances this season after missing time with a strained oblique and taking a backseat to Dillon Dingler since returning. He’s batting .175/.294/.298.

Those worried that Jake Rogers’ return would hurt Dingler’s value have to be relieved about how things have played out. Rogers did start his first game back from the IL, but Dingler has now started five of the last six games. He’s also working on an eight-game hitting streak that’s seen him go 12-for-30.