Jackson Jobe’s father talks busy week at ballpark and on golf course
Brandt Jobe, father of Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe, got to see his sons start at Comerica Park on Tuesday, before playing in The Ally Challenge.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Believe it or not, the Tigers’ clubhouse got younger in the three weeks All-Star Riley Greene was out with a right hamstring strain. And it was pretty young before he went on the shelf.
It got younger still on Monday, Aug. 31. The Tigers selected the contract of 24-year-old shortstop John Peck and recalled 26-year-old right-hander Yilber Diaz. Veteran right-hander Tanner Rainey was designated for assignment and outfielder Corey Julks was optioned back to Triple-A Toledo.
In these next couple of weeks, Peck is going to play a lot of shortstop. Rookie Kevin McGonigle is going to play more third base. Rookie Hao-Yu Lee is going to play more second base. Rookie Max Clark is going to continue to man centerfield and rookie Eduardo Valencia is going to continue to get at-bats against lefties.
But don’t get it twisted. Nobody in the Tigers’ clubhouse considers this a surrender.
“Those guys are here for a reason,” said Greene, who is expected to be activated on Tuesday, Sept. 1. “It’s because they are really good baseball players and they’re going to help us win baseball games. I think they know the position we’re in. They know we’re a playoff team. That is our goal. They’re all aware of that and they’re going to play their butts off.”
The Tigers entered this series with the Twins nine games behind the Central Division-leading White Sox and 5.5 games back of the final wild-card spot. Odds are long against them, but the message manager AJ Hinch continues to pound home has not changed.
“Young doesn’t mean not equipped or not good,” he said. “Obviously, Kevin is a prime example. We’ve watched young players come up and contribute. The message doesn’t change. The expectation doesn’t change. We are where we are and we know we have to be really, really good to make it a memorable September.
“But we are going to operate the same way. We’re going to try to win tonight’s game and win the series against the Twins. There’s no mixed messaging internally as to what we want to accomplish in this series. We have a chance to catch and pass the Twins and we have to play well to do it.”
The month of September, Hinch said emphatically, is not a tryout.
“When I see Lee out there and I see Kevin out there and I see Max, these guys are here to help us win games and series,” he said. “And we need to start stacking series wins.”
The addition of Peck, who was among the final cuts in spring training, and the return of Greene will mean less playing time for some veteran players. Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres could see their at-bats and reps shrink. Rookies Brett Callahan and Ben Malgeri might find themselves in a platoon in right field, along with veteran Zach McKinstry.
Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson may share more time at first base.
“Peck is going to be in the lineup at shortstop,” Hinch said. “He’s not going to start tonight but he will start Tuesday and Wednesday. And Kevin is going to play a lot of third base. It’s going to impact other guys. We’ll get to the middle part of the month and see where we’re at. But Riley and Peck will definitely take some playing time away from guys.”
Peck missed a good chunk of the season with a hamstring injury but in six games with the Mud Hens, he went 10-for-21 with two doubles and a homer. The defense, though, is his calling card.
“Stability,” Hinch said when asked what he liked about Peck. “It’s something he brings every day. He’s a reliable person and a reliable player. And he’s very prepared. He’s under control. He wasn’t overwhelmed this spring. He’s a mature guy and he’s got some power. I told him that he was here to stay. I want him to get some time on the field and get used to this level.”
Greene and reliever Beau Brieske will be added to the active roster Tuesday, essentially serving as the two September call-ups.
“Yeah, I stop short of calling Riley a September call-up,” Hinch said with a smile. “But I will to him.”
The Tigers went 4-13 after Greene went on the injured list. He called the stint the worst three weeks of his life.
“It sucked,” he said. “I want to be with the team every single day, every single game. I want to go through the ups and I want to go through the downs. I want to be here every single game, man. And not being able to was tough. Injuries, they happen. I was focused on trying to get as healthy as I can as fast as possible and not try to rush it, either.”
He spent time rehabbing at the TigerTown facility in Lakeland and he had a two-game rehab assignment with the Mud Hens, conveniently in St. Paul, just a 20-minute Uber ride away from Target Field.
“I think the baseball stuff was fine,” Greene said. “Trying to get in baseball shape. I was running a lot but baseball shape is different than people think it is. Just trying to see fly balls and run the bases and do all the things I needed to do. … We’ve got a month left of the regular season. You want to finish and you want to go the distance in the playoffs.
“Watching the boys and wanting to get back out there takes a toll on your mind. The days go by slower. You are wanting something and you’re not getting it. Really glad to be back.”
Brieske and Diaz, both right-handers with big-league experience, add both fresh arms and length to the Tigers’ bullpen. Brieske has altered his pitch-mix since he’s been in Toledo.
“He’s throwing his curveball again, trying to give hitters a different look,” Hinch said. “Trying to be less predictable.”
In his last stint with the Tigers, he was leaning heavy on his fastball and changeup. In his last six games in Triple-A, he’d allowed two runs in eight innings, holding hitters to a .148 average and .286 on-base percentage with 12 strikeout and five walks.
“It was predominantly fastball and that’s a difficult way to survive at this level,” Hinch said. “The combination of strike-throwing that he’s been working on and the tweaks to his arsenal, he’s earned his way back.”
Tigers at Twins
First pitch: 7:40, Tuesday, Target Field, Minneapolis
TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net, 97.1, 107.9
RHP Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86), Tigers: He started pitching exclusively out of the stretch in his last start because hitters were slashing .288/.330/.505 against him in the windup. Against the Rays last time out, without using the windup, hitters were 2 for 15 against him with nobody on base. The delivery change also seemed to help him rein in his command, especially on his four-seamer and sinker.
LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55), Twins: After getting beat up by the Phillies and Padres (14 earned runs in 11 innings), he bounced back with a solid 5.1 innings in Sacramento against the Athletics (three earned runs, five strikeouts). His best pitch is his slider, which throws between 87-88 mph with a 2,900-rpm spin rate. He throws it off a 95-96 mph four-seamer and sinker and he’s getting 32% whiff on it. Left-handed hitters have done more damage against him (.834 OPS) than you’d expect given his arsenal.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky