These 3 Tigers are making AJ Hinch's job an absolute nightmare right now

These guys need to turn it around.

Nick San Miguel

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) reacts after a fly out against Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, May 1, 2026. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are struggling right now, and manager AJ Hinch has to be desperate for answers. The team is under .500 and closer to last place than first in the American League Central. Needless to say, this season has not gotten off to the start that the team envisioned.

It's still just May, and the Tigers have had to deal with an inordinate amount of injuries, so there is a chance for the team to flip the script at some point. However, Hinch has to be extremely frustrated with three players in particular who are making his job something of a nightmare right now.

3 Tigers players making AJ Hinch's job an absolute nightmare right now

Spencer Torkelson

It's unfair to assign blame to one player in a lineup for a team that ranks 25th in MLB when it comes to runs scored, but Spencer Torkelson doesn stand out with his struggles. The first baseman is currently hitting .191/.308/.363 with six home runs and 17 runs driven in.

Torkelson has just two hits in his last 24 at-bats, and he is not hitting the ball out of the yard with enough regularity to overcome his deficiencies. Unfortunately, the former No. 1 overall pick is beginning to look more like the 2024 version of himself that got demoted midseason than the 2025 version that swatted 31 home runs.

With other guys injured and the pitching staff reeling, Torkelson had an opportunity to step up, but right now he is dropping the ball.

Jack Flaherty

The Tigers were not counting on Jack Flaherty to carry the starting rotation at the start of this season, since he was considered the weak link of a strong quintet of starters. Injuries have changed that though and Flaherty became a much more important part of the rotation as of late.

Instead of rising to the challenge, Flaherty has an 0-5 record on the season with a 5.77 ERA. Those numbers simply are not going to cut it with multiple starters on the shelf. The only problem is that Hinch doesn't really have anyone else to turn to, so he will just have to hope Flaherty can turn it around.

Zach McKinstry

Another player who has been forced to play more because of the Tigers' growing list of injuries is Zach McKinstry. The Javy Baez injury has led to McKinstry playing at second base a lot, and he is leaving a lot to be desired when in the lineup. He is hitting a dismal .173/.239/.247 with one home run and five runs batted in.

McKinstry has only four hits in his last 24 at-bats, and is a very clear liability in the lineup right now. Again, Hinch does not have too many other options, so this is another instance where he's just going to have to ride it out with the guys he has and hope his starters get healthy.

It is not an ideal situation for the skipper, but he'd probably rather have these issues at the start of the season rather than the end. Still, he has to hope he can get more out of these three players going forward.

Nick San Miguel

Nick San Miguel has been writing at FanSided since 2017. He began as a contributor writing about the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and became a Site Co-Expert for AtF in 2024. He writes at several MLB sites at FanSided. A die-hard Bay Area sports fan born 10 minutes from Levi's Stadium, he has also written about the San Francisco 49ers for Niner Noise as a contributor since December 2023. In October 2025, he joined Blue Man Hoop as a contributor to write about the Golden State Warriors. He graduated with a degree in History from San Diego State University and is now based out of Chicago. He is the same age as Oracle Park.