DETROIT -- It’s unwise to put too much stock in intrasquad games for players who have already locked up a spot on the team.
But it was still a bit curious -- and maybe even a little alarming -- to see how out of sync Niko Goodrum looked at shortstop during the first two games of summer camp.
Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire noticed it, too.
So while it was nice to see Niko Goodrum slaughter a 3-2 pitch for a lead-off home run on Sunday, it was even nicer to see him complete his third consecutive day of flawless defensive work at shortstop.
“We were worried about Niko a little bit,” Gardenhire said, “but now he’s right back at it.”
Goodrum leads off our list of observations from Game 5 of the intrasquad season at Comerica Park. Scroll to the bottom for the box score from the game.
1. No worries for Niko.
One reason the Tigers are playing so many intrasquads is to allow players to get back into the rhythms of baseball after a long time off. That means getting timing back not only at the plate, but in the field.
Goodrum’s strong defensive play during his extended audition at shortstop in 2019 is the reason he has the starting job today.
“I wasn’t worried,” Goodrum said. “We’ve taken off three months. It’s been tough to even get on a baseball field, so everything’s good.”
At the plate, Goodrum has already walked four times in 16 plate appearances. No other Tiger has more than two. Many players go up to the plate hacking in intrasquad games, but Goodrum has used the opportunity to work counts and see a lot of pitches.
“My approach has just been let the ball travel and then get the barrel to the ball as quick as possible,” he said.
2. Zimm’s debut.
Jordan Zimmermann was the last of 53 players to play in an intrasquad game. He struggled through an ugly first inning, but then retired the final six batters he faced in the second and third.
“The first inning, he didn’t have much command of his fastball,” Gardenhire said. “That happens. Those types of things happen. He was fine after that. Spun it pretty good.”
It’s a bit early to make out the Tigers’ rotation plans, but if Zimmermann follows his current schedule, he would be on track to start the second exhibition game in Cincinnati on July 22. That would effectively make him the club’s fourth or fifth starter, which is a reasonable guess at this point.
3. Chiang remains intriguing candidate.
The Tigers are clearly giving Shao-Ching Chiang a long look, trying to figure out where he fits in 2020. As a non-roster invitee, Toledo remains the likeliest destination. But don’t rule out the possibility of him landing in Detroit as a short reliever, long reliever or even piggy-back starter.
The native of Taiwan who came up in the Cleveland Indians system is sometimes erratic and the first inning was a good representation of his mercurial nature. After going up 0-2 on Goodrum, Chiang threw three straight balls before Goodrum jumped all over the 3-2 pitch and deposited deep into the right field seats.
Chiang then came back to strike out Victor Reyes, Miguel Cabrera and Jonathan Schoop in order.
In the second inning, he issued two walks, as his control abandoned him.
Goodrum and other teammates say Chiang is effective because the ball is hard to pick up.
“The ball almost comes out of his ear,” Goodrum said.
Gardenhire said Chiang must find the right mix between his mid-90s fastball and other pitches.
“The one thing that he needs to learn is when to use the curve ball in the strike zone and when to use it out of the strike zone at the Major League level,” he said. “We really like this guy’s arm. He has pitches. He’s just got to learn to keep batters off balance and not try to overpower them all the time.”
4. It’s a tough game.
The Tigers’ three young camp invitees -- Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler -- had gone a combined 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts when Dingler strode up to the plate in the seventh.
Dingler, a sturdy Ohio State catcher drafted by the Tigers last month, was nailed by a pitch from Anthony Castro. Dinger didn’t flinch. This being an intrasquad, he didn’t take his base. He simply flipped the ball back to Castro and waited for the next pitch.
The result was his first hit in a Tigers’ intrasquad, albeit not a terribly impressive one. It was a 50-foot squibber to third base that went for an infield hit.
Torkelson struck out looking in a pinch-hit opportunity Sunday. The No. 1 overall pick is 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in camp.
Greene, who hit so well in spring training but is also the youngest player in camp by far, is 0-for-7 with a walk and three strikeouts.
All three players will get much more work when they decamp to Toledo in about a week.
| Detroit Tigers at Detroit Tigers | ||||||||||||
| Jul 12, 2020 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Detroit () | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Detroit () | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||
| W: Chiang (2-0) L: Zimmermann (0-1) S: Anthony Castro (1) | ||||||||||||
| Detroit Tigers | |||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | AVG |
| Niko Goodrum | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
| Victor Reyes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .308 |
| Dillon Dingler | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Jonathan Schoop | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .267 |
| Jeimer Candelario | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .100 |
| Spencer Torkelson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Austin Romine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Jake Rogers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
| Jorge Bonifacio | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 |
| Brandon Dixon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Derek Hill | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 |
| BATTING HR: Goodrum (1, first inning, bases empty, vs. Chiang) |
|||||||
| Detroit Tigers | |||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Jordan Zimmermann | 2.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6.75 |
| Buck Farmer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| David McKay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13.50 |
| Nolan Blackwood | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.50 |
| Detroit Tigers | |||||||
| HITTERS | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | AVG |
| JaCoby Jones | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| Harold Castro | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .467 |
| Cameron Maybin | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .273 |
| Christin Stewart | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
| Riley Greene | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Dawel Lugo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Jordy Mercer | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .143 |
| Frank Schwindel | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 |
| Grayson Greiner | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .111 |
| Eric Haase | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Willi Castro | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .273 |
| BATTING 2B: Stewart (2), Mercer (1). |
|||||||
| Detroit Tigers | |||||||
| PITCHERS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Shao-Ching Chiang | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4.50 |
| Kyle Funkhouser | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Beau Burrows | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5.40 |
| Anthony Castro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
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