Wenceel

Pérez

Wenceel Pérez moves up to the second spot in the order behind rookie sensation Kevin McGonigle and emerging middle-of-the-order bat Colt Keith. Torres has gotten off to a slow start at the dish, batting .216 (11-for-51) with one homer and four RBI through 14 games.

Pérez is starting in right field in his first game back in the big leagues this year, but figures to be a platoon option for the Tigers and shouldn’t be pursued in shallow leagues. He was off to a .250/.353/.455 start for the Mud Hens, with two homers in 51 plate appearances.

Pérez made a nice statement in his final spring contest shortly after being optioned to Triple-A Toledo. The ball was flying on a 91-degree afternoon in Arizona as both teams combined for a staggering 19 runs on 30 hits. Pérez did most of his damage in the late stages, taking Rockies relievers deep in the fifth and seventh innings to close out the spring.

It seems that Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones have made the roster as the backup outfielders. Perez hit .244/.308/.430 in 100 games with the Tigers last year with 13 home runs and eight RBI. His lack of defensive versatility hurt him here, but if the Tigers need a strict outfielder during the season, Perez should get the call.

Parker Meadows went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, and now both Tigers outfielders are sporting sub-.400 OPS this spring. If the Tigers opt to carry Kevin McGonigle, there’s probably going to be room for only one of Meadows and Pérez. Meadows has the clear edge defensively, which could be a difference-maker. Pérez hit a respectable .244/.308/.430 last year, but he fits a lot better in right field than in center.

If McGoningle secures a spot on the Opening Day roster, Petzold speculates that they’ll have to move on from one of Matt Vierling, Wenceel Pérez, Jahmai Jones, or Meadows. Meadows simply doesn’t give them the value off the bench that they’d like compared to Pérez and Jones. And, to boot, Meadows is hitting .059 with one walk and five strikeouts in six spring training games.

Even though Detroit has hit .165/.246/.233 with 35 strikeouts through three games, there are no changes today. Colt Keith is again batting third and DHing, and Kerry Carpenter, who committed an error on a flyball last night, is in right field and leading off. Wenceel Pérez, who started the final 14 games of the regular season and then all three against the Guardians in the Wild Card series, remains on the bench.

Keith had been shelved since mid-September due to right rib cage inflammation. His return bumps Wenceel Perez from the Tigers’ starting lineup. Here’s the full look at how the Tigers will line up against Mariners’ right-hander George Kirby on Saturday night in Seattle: Gleyber Torres (2B), Kerry Carpenter (RF), Riley Greene (LF), Spencer Torkelson (1B), Colt Keith (DH), Dillon Dingler (C), Zach McKinstry (3B), Javier Baez (SS) and Parker Meadows (CF).

It’s the same nine for Detroit, but most guys are moving up a spot with Meadows going from first to last. The exceptions are Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene; they remain fourth and fifth, respectively, with the slumping Wenceel Pérez jumping from sixth to third.

It’s a return to the lineup for McKinstry after he missed three games in a row with upper-back stiffness. The 30-year-old’s return also sees Weencel Perez get the night off and Kerry Carpenter get a rare-ish start in right field.