April 12, 2023

A.J. Hinch answers question about Javier Baez decision

Tigers News Reports

Inside the Article:

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez has been working to improve his plate discipline, but statistically speaking, he is off to a horrendous start. In fact, heading into Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays, he was just 4-for-33 with one RBI on the season. If you happened to turn in for the game, you probably noticed that Baez was hitting fifth in the lineup for the first time. Some looked at this decision as manager A.J. Hinch moving Baez down in the lineup because of his performance, but Hinch did not go that far while speaking to the media before the game.

Javier Baez Detroit Tigers

Key Points

Baez has been struggling with his plate discipline and has had a poor start to the 2023 season
Baez was moved to the fifth spot in the lineup for the first time this season

Hinch did not directly state that the move was due to Baez’s poor performance and instead wanted him to focus on getting into the strike zone more.
Unfortunately, moving Baez down in the lineup did not yield much improvement as he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the game.
Baez needs to improve his batting performance for the Tigers’ offense to be successful.

A.J. Hinch answers question about Javier Baez decision

Prior to the game, Hinch was asked about moving Baez down to No. 5 for the first time this season.

“My two choices were three and five in today’s lineup, and this is the way I went,” Hinch said. “Hopefully, it gives him a little bit of a different look. Regardless of where he hits, we’d like him to get into the strike zone a little bit more.”

Unfortunately, moving Baez down to No. 5 did not help much as he was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bottom Line: Baez has to get things going

After struggling during the first half of the 2022 season, Baez turned things on a bit in the second half and the hope was that trend would continue in 2023. Well, so far, the highly-paid shortstop is batting just .111 on the season, which is extremely disappointing. For the Tigers’ offense to really get going, Baez absolutely must start doing his part.

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W.G. Brady is a Detroit-based journalist who has been covering the Detroit sports scene for Detroit Sports Nation for several years. He is in his early 30s and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, W.G. has established himself as a respected and knowledgeable journalist known for his in-depth coverage of the teams and athletes in Detroit. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sports, W.G. has become a go-to source for fans and readers looking for the latest news and analysis on the Detroit sports scene. He has a good reputation in the sports community and is respected for his unbiased coverage of sports events. W.G. is known for his ability to uncover hidden stories and provide unique perspectives on the teams and athletes he covers. He has a good understanding of the city of Detroit and its sports culture, which he uses to inform his reporting and analysis. He continues to be a respected journalist in the Detroit sports industry.