AJ Hinch hints at missing Tigers piece that could get them over the hump in 2026

Matt Vierling was the anchor of the Tigers' 2024 lineup. What is still a very young core was even greener then, making 27-year-old Vierling one of the most senior members of the offense. He was the only one with any experience in October when the Tigers went to their first postseason in a decade.

Almost the entirety of his 2025 season was lost to two separate injuries in his shoulder and oblique. He only played in 31 games between long stints on the IL, and batted .239 with a .617 OPS when he was healthy.

The Tigers have always loved Vierling for his versatility and his seniority, but his lost year forced fans to wonder if the front office would look into upgrades in the offseason.

Of course, the front office didn't add a single bat in the offseason, so they would have to bank on Vierling having a comeback year.

Luckily, Vierling's looking like his usual self in spring training. He's hitting .293 with a .911 OPS through 14 games, and the shoulder that bothered him throughout 2025 is holding up in the outfield.

AJ Hinch said of Vierling's return, "He's a huge addition for us – or re-addition for us. I think missing him last year was very underrated."

AJ Hinch hypes up Matt Vierling's return as he enters a big comeback year with the Tigers

Vierling probably won't be the heaviest hitter in the Tigers' lineup (though he was third in homers in 2024), given Spencer Torkelson's ascent and Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter's home run numbers continuing to trend upward, but he's prized for his versatility and consistency.

We probably won't see him at third base very often this season, as Colt Keith moves to third base more permanently and will have Zach McKinstry (and maybe Kevin McGonigle) to back him up there, but the Tigers need better defensive outfielders than Carpenter or Jahmai Jones.

Greene might start appearing as a DH more often as the Tigers continue to worry about how his legs are holding up, which could give Vierling more time to play in left field.

"It was underrated how much we missed him," Hinch reiterated. "Overall, being healthy and having a normal spring to this point is another reminder that we missed this guy. He could've easily done more for us if health had been on his side."

While the Tigers' stubbornness about their offense during the offseason might still come back to bite them, getting guys like Vierling back in good shape will be a difference-maker.