LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers check out of Tigertown in a week and a half.
Two weeks from Thursday, they begin their regular season in San Diego.
Opening Day can sneak up on you, but manager A.J. Hinch made a point to remind players a week ago how it’s creeping up.
To reinforce the point, the Tigers have made camp cuts in drips and batches, making sure not to waste time when they’ve decided that a player won’t make the team.
The result is a clubhouse that is incrementally thinning out. The temporary bank of lockers in the middle, once four lockers deep, is half that. The open lockers for veterans that had in some cases vanished with late offseason signings are now restored after prospects were sent out.
Now it’s time to see how players react when they begin going deeper into games and it becomes more apparent that jobs are on the line. It’s not just about top prospect Kevin McGonigle, who has handled just about everything thrown his way, but players with Major League experience and big league success.
Most of the Tigers' roster is pretty well decided, but two pivot points remain: How would an Opening Day spot for McGonigle impact the rest of the roster, including the outfield and bench? And how many potential multi-inning relievers will the Tigers carry?
With the stretch run upon us, here’s an updated projection:
Catchers (2): Dillon Dingler, Jake Rogers
Dingler just began catching in games again after spending the first half of camp building up arm strength following arthroscopic right elbow surgery, but he should be good to go from here. Rogers has quietly looked good this spring at the plate, having made an offseason adjustment to let the ball travel further and resist lunging at pitches. Tomás Nido and Eduardo Valencia will be available at Triple-A Toledo in case of injury.
First base (1): Spencer Torkelson
Torkelson got off to a slow start this spring, but looks comfortable and confident at the plate coming off last year’s 31-homer season. The Tigers have worked in various people at first base in case of late-game pinch-hitters and maneuvers, from Matt Vierling to Jace Jung, but this is clearly Torkelson’s spot.
Second base (1): Gleyber Torres
Torres put in a lot of work to get his timing ready at the plate and in the field early this spring in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. He’ll be the everyday second baseman upon his return from Team Venezuela.
Shortstop (1): Kevin McGonigle
The first significant change from last month’s projection is a big one. McGonigle, MLB’s No. 2 prospect, looked like a long shot to make the team when camp began, but he has looked every bit like a Major League shortstop on both sides of the ball so far in Grapefruit League. That said, the final week and a half of camp will be key for him, as pitchers stop working on secondary stuff and hone in on their game mix. Teams have already started flipping him a fair number of breaking balls and offspeed offerings, but so far he has adjusted.
Third base (1): Colt Keith
Keith entered Wednesday with 10 strikeouts in 19 at-bats, including seven strikeouts on 0-2 or 1-2 pitches. But aside from a late reaction or two, he has looked relatively comfortable at third base after getting an offseason to prepare for the hot corner. If McGonigle makes the team at shortstop, that could free Zach McKinstry to get some starts at his old spot, with Vierling also available.
Outfielders (3): Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling
Meadows’ slow start to spring rekindled concerns from his streaky 2025 season, but a mid-spring timing adjustment to stay on his back hip and rotate has had him looking better at the plate with more solid contact in recent days. This could come down to Meadows or Wenceel Pérez, who has also had to dig himself out from a slow start. Pérez would provide more cover against left-handed pitching, but Javier Báez could be another option for that if he’s not playing primarily at shortstop.
DH (2): Kerry Carpenter, Jahmai Jones
Carpenter has had a better spring than the numbers, including a good amount of outfield work. He could mix into left field to give Greene some time at DH, or right field when Vierling needs a day off. He could get some extra looks against left-handed pitching after his stretch run last year. Still, DH is the logical spot for Jones, who went hitless in Tigers camp before the WBC but has looked strong for Team Korea. He could get more at-bats against righties, too.
Bench/utility (2): Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry
McGonigle’s gain would be Báez’s loss of a primary position, but considering his All-Star first half last year while playing center field and shortstop, he has arguably looked best when he rotates positions and bounces around the field. McKinstry, too, was an All-Star last year, but he was extremely effective in small sample sizes as a late-game sub and pinch-hitter.
Rotation (5): Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Justin Verlander, Casey Mize
This group has been pretty much set since the Valdez and Verlander press conferences on back-to-back days at the start of camp. Depth could be an issue with Troy Melton out until at least the final week of May, but the Tigers should have some swingmen who could jump in from the bullpen, plus Keider Montero at Toledo.
Bullpen (8): Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Drew Anderson, Brant Hurter, Brenan Hanifee, Enmanuel De Jesus
This group features three proven closers as well as two or three guys who could jump in to start in a pinch. Anderson has quietly been one of the better pitchers in camp, with stuff good enough to succeed in just about any role. Same goes for De Jesus, who made a big impression with his start for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.