The Detroit Tigers have stopped treating first base as Spencer Torkelson’s automatic assignment, and manager A.J. Hinch wants the change to sting.
Torkelson was left out of the starting lineup for the third time in four games Wednesday, with Colt Keith receiving another opportunity at first base. During his appearance on “Inside the Tigers” with Costa and Jansen with Heather on 97.1 The Ticket, Hinch explained that September playing time was being redistributed as Detroit evaluated younger players.
That explanation followed Torkelson’s candid response to his shrinking role. “It totally sucks, but I understand it,” Torkelson said, according to Detroit News reporter Chris McCosky.
Hinch Wants Torkelson to Feel the Competition
Hinch praised the 27-year-old for responding professionally, but he did not soften his message.
“I’m not playing him today either, which is going to bother him, and it should,” Hinch said. “I want it to bother him.”
For most of the year, Torkelson remained at first base even when teammates received rest. That arrangement is no longer guaranteed. Keith can move from designated hitter or third base to first, giving Hinch another way to create opportunities for Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee, and John Peck.
Torkelson has still produced loud reminders of his power. He hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the 12th inning against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 2, then added his 22nd homer two days later in Cleveland.
Those swings did not preserve his everyday status. Torkelson entered Wednesday batting .219/.310/.406 with 22 home runs and 66 RBIs, a clear step backward from his career-best 2025 campaign.
A year earlier, he posted .240/.333/.456 with 31 home runs, 78 RBIs, and a career-high 117 OPS+, seemingly settling the position after years of volatility. Now, September offers Keith a chance to challenge the assumption that first base still belongs to Torkelson every day.
Torkelson’s Splits Do Not Offer a Simple Answer
The underlying matchup data makes Detroit’s decision more complicated than a standard platoon. FanGraphs lists Torkelson at .208/.297/.418 against right-handed pitchers and .248/.344/.383 against lefties this year. His OPS differs by only 12 points between the two splits.
The lineup squeeze matters as much as the pitcher on the mound. Keith gives Detroit a left-handed alternative at first, while McGonigle can play third and Gleyber Torres remains established at second. Lee and Peck also need at-bats during a month increasingly focused on determining who fits in 2027.
Torkelson remains under club control through 2028, so reduced playing time does not signal an immediate departure. It does, however, change the question surrounding the former No. 1 overall pick. Instead of merely waiting for his power to reappear, the Tigers are making him prove that it deserves an everyday place in their increasingly crowded lineup.
Hinch did not close the door on Torkelson. He made it clear that the door is now open to competition.
Tigers’ A.J. Hinch Sends Telling Message Amid Spencer Torkelson’s Reduced Role