DETROIT – The Tigers have built their roster around the idea of having an answer for virtually every matchup. With rosters expanding on Monday from 26 to 28 players, it figured that they would use the extra space to enhance that.
With just less than four weeks left in the regular season, they’re not done maneuvering yet, either.
“September represents an opportunity to continue how we’ve used our roster,” manager A.J. Hinch said before Monday’s 10-8 loss to the Mets at Comerica Park. “You could see a multitude of moves. It’s another month, like we’ve done for the last five months, where we’re going to go series by series, and sometimes game by game, to give us the best chance to win.”
A first glance at Monday’s starting lineup raised the question of whether Hinch finally had more options than he knew what to do with. Justyn-Henry Malloy had arrived from Triple-A Toledo, but he was on the bench against Mets lefty Sean Manaea, with left-handed hitters Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene playing shortstop and left field, respectively. Fellow right-handed hitter Jahmai Jones had a four-hit game in the DH slot, while Andy Ibáñez had his usual spot at third base.
Look deeper, however, and there was a method to Hinch’s order. By bringing up Malloy, Hinch had an option not only for Manaea, but for the lefty relievers in the Mets’ bullpen. And with Kerry Carpenter ready for the first opportunity against a righty reliever, Hinch had Malloy ready for whenever the Mets tried to match up against Carpenter.
Welcome to the next level of matchup baseball, September style.
“The fifth position player does bring up more opportunity to be more aggressive earlier in the game,” Hinch said. “And one of the things that I’ve seen on our team when we go heavy right-handed or heavy left-handed on the bench, do you have a second move later? …
“If I want to go aggressive earlier in the game with a left-handed hitter, I still have a counter later in the game with all these teams that are coming at us with two and three left-handed relievers. Having that bat at the middle to latter part of the game on a day like today is very useful. … We’re going to use our whole roster most days, and adding another bench bat probably only magnifies that.”
Monday played out the script. The Tigers chased Manaea with two outs in the fourth inning, then did the same with former Detroit closer Gregory Soto with one out in the fifth. Once the Mets turned to right-hander Ryne Stanek, Carpenter was ready. A two-on, two-out opportunity in what was then a 6-6 game was the perfect setup.
Carpenter, pinch-hitting for No. 9 batter Javier Báez, turned on a 99.9 mph fastball from Stanek and scorched a line drive to the right-field gap, but Juan Soto was positioned nearly perfectly to make the catch. The Mets not only ended the threat, they had two more lefty relievers available with veteran southpaw Brooks Raley and swingman Brandon Waddell.
Raley got the call when Carpenter came back up with two outs and a runner on in the seventh. Malloy already had a bat in his hand, waiting for the opportunity, with left-handed hitters just 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts against Raley since his return from the injured list in July.
“Malloy’s presence was exactly what I was talking about pregame,” Hinch said. “They have their choice, we have our choice, and I felt like we needed to continue to push the matchups when we could.”
Malloy battled out of an 0-2 count to force a six-pitch at-bat, culminating with a sweeper that wandered over the plate. Malloy connected but got under it, popping it to second baseman Luisangel Acuña to the first-base side of the mound.
It didn’t get the result, but it was the right matchup.
That 14th positional roster spot could be in flux over the next couple of weeks. Parker Meadows, out since late July with a right quad strain, continues his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo this week at Lehigh Valley. He’ll start in center field Tuesday and play again Wednesday before the Tigers evaluate his status for their weekend series against the White Sox.
Matt Vierling, out since Aug. 10 with a left oblique strain, might not be far behind, though he has yet to start a rehab assignment or do everything at game speed. The Tigers are being admittedly cautious with him, knowing a setback could rule him out for the rest of the season.