Faedo not fazed by move to Tigers’ bullpen; McKinstry returning to form
Detroit Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo has a long history of starting games, but the team recently moved him to the bullpen.
To him, it doesn’t matter. He describes himself in one way.
“I just think of myself as a baseball player,” Faedo said. “I’m going to do whatever the team needs.”
“He said ‘player’ because all these guys think they can hit,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “They’re wrong, but they think they can hit. But I do agree with that. One of the things this year we’ve really established, and I’m very proud of it, is the communication line that there’s so many ways to contribute to a win.”
Faedo made his first appearance as a relief pitcher in Saturday’s 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. He retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth inning.
It was Faedo’s first true relief appearance in his professional career.
“The guys down there have treated me really well,” Faedo said. “Luckily, it’s not like it’s a new team where I just walked in and have to ask a bunch of questions. It’s a bunch of guys I’ve known for a long time, and they’re showing me the ropes. Besides that, I thought it was a lot of fun going out there. I’m glad I was able to finish the game.”
Oscar Colás lined out on five pitches; Yasmani Grandal lined out on five pitches; and Zach Remillard struck out swinging on three pitches. For the strikeout, Faedo used a 95.6 mph fastball for a called strike, 83.1 mph slider for a swinging strike and a 94.9 mph fastball for a swinging strike.
His seven four-seam fastballs averaged 93.9 mph out of the bullpen, up from his 92.8 mph average in 11 starts this season. He logged a 4.98 ERA with 17 walks and 47 strikeouts over 56 innings in a starting role.
“The stuff ticked up,” Hinch said. “The attack plan first time through has been really good in his career. His stuff will play up a little bit, and the fastball-slider is good. He can defend himself against lefties (with his changeup).”
As a starter, opponents hit .202 with a .597 on-base-plus-slugging percentage against Faedo in their first plate appearances within a game. The second time, though, opponents hit .292 with a .946 OPS.
Faedo is expected to throw about 45-50 pitches, more than enough to get him through nine batters, in his somewhat predetermined relief appearances. He will pitch Tuesday or Wednesday against the Yankees in New York.
“It sets him up to play a key role Tuesday or
Wednesday in New York with all the righthanded hitters that they have,” Hinch said. “We don’t want six and seven days to go without guys pitching, so I wasn’t going to put him in the game at all costs . ... It was a perfect time for him to get his first outing.”
Zach’s attack
Utility player Zach McKinstry, who was one of the best players in the American League in May, has taken a step in the right direction since Aug. 9, hitting .273 with a .753 OPS in his past 23 games.
He could be a part of the Tigers’ future because of his ceiling on offense and his ability to play several infield and outfield positions on defense. In August, McKinstry continued to whiff at breaking balls and offspeed pitches, but he refined his approach to create damage on fastballs.
“Pitch selection is always key with Zach,”
Hinch said. “When you want to establish yourself as a big leaguer, you want to put up numbers. You put up numbers by swinging the bat and putting the ball in play. If you start expanding the zone, it’s virtually chasing your tail.”
All seven of his walks in the 23-game stretch occurred in a 12-game span, from Aug. 19-31. The 28-year-old has seven walks (13.2% walk rate) and 14 strikeouts (26.4% strikeout rate) since Aug. 19.
McKinstry had just eight walks (3.4% walk rate) over 66 games, from June 2 to Aug. 18, after an incredible 20.6% walk rate in May. When he draws walks, his overall performance on offense improves significantly.
He is hitting .239 with eight home runs, 39 walks (8.7% walk rate) and 99 strikeouts (22.1% strikeout rate) in 127 games this season, by far the most games he has played in his fouryear MLB career.
“Sticking with him through those times is important for a player to feel established,”
Hinch said. “(To feel) that there’s a belief in them, that they can struggle and not find themselves always on the bench. That’s not always the case. Sometimes, you have to sit guys because you got other guys that are pushing to play.”
Roster moves
Right-handed reliever Blair Calvo cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Toledo. The 27-year-old has an 8.88 ERA with 26 walks and 30 strikeouts across 251⁄3 games with the Mud Hens.
The 40-man roster is at 39 players. Left-handed reliever Bennett Sousa, who was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Friday, has been claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros. He won’t be eligible for the postseason.