Detroit Tigers News: Michael Lorenzen to start season on IL, Joey Wentz to start season in rotation

Joey Wentz makes the Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster after all

Joey Wentz was one of the biggest question marks coming tinto this season for the Detroit Tigers. After a strong finish to the 2022 season, would there be enough room for him in the 2023 starting rotation? Well thanks to an injury, we got our answer today.

Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports that Michael Lorenzen will start the season on the IL with a groin injury he suffered earlier this week. That opens up a rotation spot, which A.J. Hinch said would be filled by Wentz.

It's unfortunate that Lorenzen won't be able to start the season on time. He was signed to a one-year deal this offseason. He missed some time with an injury with the Angels last season. He was having a decent spring.

However, it's nice to see Wentz make the team out of camp. Having him start the season in Toledo would have been a waste of his talent in my opinion. That new cutter of his is a real weapon. It's going to play in the big leagues as long he uses it effectively.

We can only assume that this means Matt Manning has made the team as well. His last two starts this spring were much better than his first three. Earlier today, it was announced that Eduardo Rodriguez would start on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. We don't yet know the exact order of the starting rotation, but when we do, we'll be sure to pass that along.

Other cuts today include Donny Sands and Will Vest being sent down to Triple-A, and Andy Ibanez being sent to minor league camp. There's only a few more spots up for grabs on this roster. It's all coming down to the wire.