Where the Tigers' roster battles currently stand

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers were just beginning to discuss Opening Day roster and lineup decisions when Spring Training was suspended. When baseball resumes and they gather again, those decisions will return, without a lot of time to decide.

The effort Tigers players have shown to continue working out on their own -- many of them are still in Lakeland for now, with some possibly going to Detroit in the coming days, according to Matthew Boyd -- is an encouraging sign for players staying close to game shape in an eventual restart. But they’ll still need some ramp-up.

“I don't anticipate that, if it's a long period, they're going to be ready to go and start the season tomorrow,” general manager Al Avila said in a conference call over the weekend.

That will be the time for the Tigers to revisit the roster decisions ahead. While some of those decisions will be addressed in the short term, others will linger beyond that.

1. Third base remains open
The biggest lineup competition the Tigers faced going into camp didn’t look any clearer once Spring Training was suspended last week. That’s largely because neither Jeimer Candelario nor Dawel Lugo had a particularly great spring despite solid winter-ball campaigns. While Candelario batted 4-for-30 with two homers and eight strikeouts in Grapefruit League play, Lugo went 5-for-21 with two strikeouts. Both players are out of Minor League options, and it’s unlikely the Tigers could carry both. If Candelario has an advantage, it’s the work he has put in on defense, and the belief he still has a chance to get back to the form that made him a highly-ranked Cubs prospect a few years ago.

2. Out of left field, there’s a roster battle
Cameron Maybin's return to the Tigers last month was expected to just about solidify Detroit’s outfield mix, with Christin Stewart the favorite to get the bulk of the playing time in left. But while Stewart showed up to camp in very good shape, he struggled on the field, batting just 4-for-28 in 13 games while having trouble with some wind-blown fly balls. The former first-round pick found himself battling for not just a starting role with Victor Reyes, but a roster spot with Travis Demeritte (four home runs in 16 at-bats), Jorge Bonifacio and Troy Stokes Jr. Stewart could use informal workouts to work on his swing; hitting coach Joe Vavra was still in Lakeland for now.

3. Bullpen taking shape
Aside from closer Joe Jiménez and setup man Buck Farmer, every role was open in what was shaping up as an eight-man bullpen going into camp. The fact that the Tigers' rotation is pretty much set allows Detroit to look at Tyler Alexander in a long-relief role, adding some lefty depth behind hard-throwing Gregory Soto and versatile Nick Ramirez. David McKay has helped his chances tremendously with a solid camp performance, as has Rule 5 Draft pick Rony Garcia. The Tigers could be left deciding between promising rookie Bryan Garcia, hard-throwing Jose Cisnero and former Pirate Dario Agrazal.

4. Triple-A Toledo rotation
Yes, you read that right. While Detroit’s rotation is pretty well set with Boyd, Ivan Nova, Daniel Norris, Spencer Turnbull and Jordan Zimmermann, there’s intrigue over how the Tigers will slot their plethora of pitching prospects. The entire 2019 rotation from Double-A Erie -- Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Alex Faedo, Tarik Skubal and Joey Wentz -- had a case for promotion to Triple-A Toledo until Wentz underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery this week. Wentz’s loss costs the Tigers their up-and-coming prospect for 14-16 months, but could free up a spot and ease some congestion. But the Tigers also have former first-round pick Beau Burrows and Kyle Funkhouser, who have been starters their entire careers, but could shift to the Mud Hens' bullpen. There’s also former Reds starter Tim Adleman, who bounced between Toledo and Erie last year but made an impression in Major League camp this spring.