CHICAGO – While Javier Báez missed the Tigers’ return to Wrigley Field, his old home ballpark, the All-Star shortstop took a big step toward returning to action on Tuesday by starting a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland.
Báez, out since April 29 with a right ankle sprain, started at shortstop and batted second, going 1-for-2 with a ground-ball single through the middle and a popup near the third-base line. His five innings at shortstop included a second-inning ground ball that took him deep into the hole before making a long throw to first on a line for the out.
Báez is expected to spend much of the week at shortstop, stretching out his innings, before branching out to center field for the later stages of his assignment.
“We’re going to build up a little bit of endurance and then move him around a bit,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
While the Tigers dealt with a bevy of injuries early in the season, the Báez injury was particularly damaging, taking away not only a defensive stalwart but a veteran presence in the infield. Kevin McGonigle’s impressive rookie season has helped offset some of that. Still, the injury essentially made the 21-year-old an everyday player and forced Hinch to keep a wary eye on his energy to avoid wearing him down. So far, McGonigle has held up incredibly well, to say the least; his 4.8 bWAR entering Tuesday ranked second only to Bobby Witt Jr. among American League position players.
Getting a healthy Báez back would allow Hinch to watch McGonigle’s workload a little easier while adding a right-handed bat on the left side of the infield. The Tigers have struggled against left-handed pitching compared to last season in no small part due to injuries to Báez and Gleyber Torres, the latter of whom returned from the injured list on Monday.
Báez could also give Hinch another defensive option in center field, where James Outman has taken on the bulk of the duties and gotten some lefty-lefty at-bats.