Tigers To Give Former No. 1 Overall Pick A Second Chance

He came into the season as the game's top prospect, and flopped terribly. Now first baseman Spencer Torkelson is getting another shot, as the Detroit Tigers will be calling him up on Thursday, despite continued struggles in the minors.

Spencer Torkelson will be recalled from AAA Toledo tomorrow when rosters expand where he will finish his rookie campaign with the big league club.

— Johnny Kane (@JohnnyKaneTV) August 31, 2022

Rosters expand for all teams as of Thursday, and the Tigers want to get an updated view of what's happening with their former No. 1 overall pick (2020).

Torkelson hit just .197 for the Tigers, with a .577 OPS and just 5 home runs in 83 games. But his performance since being sent down to Triple-A in mid-July hasn't been a heckuva lot better; he's batting .228 with a .740 OPS at Toledo with just five homers. He is getting on base, however, sporting a .347 on-base percentage.  

The 22-year-old was the first overall pick in the 2020 Draft, and quickly lived up to that billing, tearing up Triple-A in 2021, to the tune of 30 HR and 91 RBIs in just 121 games with a .935 OPS. 

Detroit is also calling up Ryan Kreidler and activating veteran pitcher Michael Pineda for September.

Photo: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports