- Gleyber Torres returns from the injured list to the Detroit Tigers’ starting lineup.
- Torres’ return creates a position player logjam, giving manager A.J. Hinch options at first, second, and designated hitter.
- Hinch plans to ease Torres back into action after his oblique injury.
MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time all season, the Detroit Tigers got some good news on the injury front.
They actually have a player coming back.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres has returned from the injured list and will start at second base Friday night against the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers optioned Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Toledo to make room on the roster for Torres.
Torres, who has been out with an oblique strain, did not require a rehab stint in the minors.
“I mean 10 games (off), we really believe it’s not too much,” Torres said. “I’m glad to (be) back quickly.”
Torres has been on the IL since the second game of the season when he injured his side hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But his return does complicate what the Tigers do at first and second base.
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With Torres on the injured list, Colt Keith returned to second base — his position last year as a rookie. This season, though, he has struggled defensively there, picking up three errors.
On Friday night, Spencer Torkelson will play first and Keith will be used as the designated hitter.
“Then we’ll figure it out day to day,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday’s game. “I don’t really need to commit any further than I have to.”
Hinch said he has a loose plan on how he will use several players who are all intertwined: He is going to ramp up Torres slowly playing him at second and designated hitter; Keith will play second, first and designated hitter; Torkelson will play first and designated hitter; and Justyn-Henry Malloy will be a designated hitter, play a little bit of first and have some outfield time sprinkled in.
“It’s just a puzzle to put together every day to try to win that game,” Hinch said. “So it’s a good problem to have.”
Torres had been experiencing rib discomfort for several days before it worsened during his home-run swing against the Dodgers.
Hinch plans to bring him back slowly.
“It’s a quick turnaround (Saturday),” Hinch said of the second game of the series, scheduled for 2:10 p.m. “I’ve told him that he’s not going to start (Saturday) and we’ll see if he’s available off the bench as we just need to ease the workload, given that he didn’t go on rehab. We’re just going to be a little cautious with the first few days.
Torres was signed to a one-year, $15 million contract by the Tigers this offseason, and he opened this season as one of the best hitters on the Tigers’ roster. The 28-year-old hit .429 (3-for-7) with one home run, one walk and zero strikeouts in the first two games of the 2025 season,. He batted second in the first game and leadoff in the second game.
Before Opening Day, Torres hit .238 with three homers, seven walks and 10 strikeouts across 17 games in spring training, a stretch of 50 plate appearances.
He also has a proven track record. From 2022-24, Torres hit .263 with a .757 OPS, averaging 21 home runs and 151 games per season — all with the New York Yankees. He made the All-Star Game in 2018 and 2019, the first two seasons of his eight-year MLB career.
How they will use catchers
With Jake Rogers on the injured list, Hinch is also shuffling his catchers.
Dillon Dingler is catching Friday night and Tomás Nido will start on Saturday afternoon.
“So more in the traditional backup role,” Hinch said.
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff
