Late Spencer Torkelson surge could greatly alter his future with Tigers

On the heels of giving Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney their major league debuts, the Tigers also recalled Spencer Torkelson after a two-month stay in Triple-A. When Torkelson was demoted, he definitely deserved it, having batted .201 with a .596 OPS through the first day of June. He was a far cry from the 30+ homer player he was in 2023 and couldn't step up as one of the young leaders the Tigers expected him to be.

Torkelson took his demotion nobly, at least. He made it clear he was committed to putting his head down and doing whatever he could to get back to the majors. His batting average remained pretty low in Triple-A (.239), but his OPS grew to a much better .798, and the Tigers had nothing to lose by bringing him back up and trying to get him readjusted to major league play.

He's played five games since being promoted again and has already looked like a brand new man. In his return game, he went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, and a walk. On Tuesday against the Cubs, he had a perfect night at the plate: 4-for-4 with an extra-base hit.

On the whole, Torkelson is hitting .412 with a 1.324 OPS in five games (20 plate appearances) since rejoining the Tigers. He's struck out only three times, too.

Will Spencer Torkelson's improvements be enough to solidify his place on the Tigers roster?

Torkelson great night against the Cubs came with a couple of historical/statistical oddities: all four of his hits had an xBA of over .900, making him the first player to have that kind of game since Nelson Cruz in 2019. Torkelson's last four-hit game also came almost exactly a year prior, and it was against the Cubs, and the same two pitchers started that game.

The Tigers still have 36 games remaining in the regular season, and with Gio Urshela out the door and Bligh Madris back in Triple-A, we can probably expect Torkelson to stay in the majors through the end of the year. This last stretch will be a pivotal time for him; he's trying to prove that he did get better, but he's also trying to prove that he still deserves a spot on next year's Opening Day roster alongside this other group of young players.

Although this team doesn't like to spend money, the Tigers could look into free agent first base options as contingencies. Christian Walker and Rhys Hoskins will both be on the market.

Torkelson said upon his return, "Gosh, I’ve missed this place. I’ve missed these guys. I belong here. So it’s good to be back." He might feel like he belongs in the majors, but he still has an unphill battle to climb to prove that he deserves it. A hot streak in the final five weeks could change his fortunes in Detroit.