Only two weeks into spring training, the Detroit Tigers’ 2025 third-base plan has already encountered a hurdle.
The Tigers announced Friday morning that utility player Matt Vierling has a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder and will be out for a period of time before being re-evaluated for baseball activity. Manager AJ Hinch told reporters that Vierling would not be ready for Opening Day and would begin the season on the injured list.
Vierling had largely played in the outfield for the Tigers the previous two seasons, but he also saw time in the infield and was expected to be one of Detroit’s major alternatives at third base alongside Jace Jung this season. Jung now appears to be the regular in the hot corner, with 34 Major League games under his belt.
In an ideal scenario, Jung would accept the job and run with it; nevertheless, given his lack of experience, the Tigers will need to adapt their contingency plans accordingly. With Vierling out, utility infielders Andy Ibáñez and Zach McKinstry are the most obvious backup alternatives in case Jung fails.
Matt Vierling injury suddenly has Tigers fans feeling differently about Alex Bregman pursuit
As much as Tigers supporters would like to move on from the Alex Bregman offseason free agency fiasco, we would be negligent not to mention that the entire problem might have been averted if the slugging third baseman had chosen to sign with Detroit. Bregman would have been a simple solution for the Tigers at third base, giving Jung more time to grow and providing a right-handed power bat to the center of their lineup.
With Vierling in the mix, Tigers supporters felt much more comfortable writing off Bregman’s decision to join the Red Sox. What about now? A rookie being thrown into the fire after compiling a -0.5 WAR in limited time last year makes things a little more difficult.
In what was generally a rather successful summer for the Tigers, the disappointment of missing out on Bregman feels a little more poignant now. In the meanwhile, Detroit will have to hope that Vierling’s injury does not keep him out for more than a few weeks and that Jung is up to the burden of being a daily MLB third baseman. Is it unreasonable to ask for both?
