Detroit Tigers: Who Leaves When J.D. Martinez Returns?

Along with Andrew Romine, Tyler Collins seems to have cemented his position on the 25-man roster. After his rocky start in 2016, he has come back to prove that he is a player who can manage the immense outfield in Detroit and make an impact at the plate.

Having played in 12 of 15 games, he has shown that he is more than just a bench player. His current batting average is .262 and his OPS is .612. He has one home run. Up until a few days ago,

Collins had an eight-game hitting streak. Due to his consistency at the plate and his ability in the field, he has been Martinez’s full-time sub in right. In 86.2 innings of play in right field, he has committed only one error and it occurred early in the season at the Tigers home opener on April 7.

In 2016, Collins spent the majority of his time in center field. He played in 29 games and 207 innings and committed one error while in center field, and like his error in 2017, it was early in the season. With numbers like these, it is safe to say that he will remain in Detroit when Martinez returns.

His left-handed bat is also a desirable commodity in Detroit. Other than a few pitchers, Collins is the only true left-handed player on the team. Andrew Romine and Victor Martinez are right-handed, but can both bat left. Collins batting And, the fact that Collins can no longer be moved back and forth to Toledo because he is out of options is another reason why he will stay.