Inside the Article:
Following the Detroit Tigers series against the Chicago White Sox, manager A.J. Hinch and his club will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies. It will be an emotional trip for Nick Maton and Matt Vierling, as they were part of the Phillies World Series runner-up from a year ago. In fact, Maton and Vierling will be presented with their National League Championship rings in a pre-game ceremony on Monday night.
“It’s going to be sick,” said Maton. “It was a crazy run we had and it’ll be cool to get a ring for it. It’ll be nice to see all those guys again and hopefully beat them a little bit (smiles).”
Key Points
- Maton and Vierling, former members of the Philadelphia Phillies World Series runner-up team, will receive their National League Championship rings in a pre-game ceremony during the Tigers series against the Phillies.
- Despite his struggles at the plate, Maton's position in the lineup remains unchanged. Maton has been batting just .162 on the season and .150 since the start of May, but Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has no plans to bench him.
- A.J. Hinch acknowledges that Maton is in a tough spot but does not view him as defeated or mentally drained.
Nick Maton has been struggling in a big way
When Maton made the team out of Spring Training, the hope was that he would provide a spark for a Tigers team that struggled to score runs in 2022. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, as he is batting just .162 on the season. In fact, he is batting just .150 since the start of May.
A.J. Hinch says Maton would ‘throw my desk' if he sits him in Philly
Though it may be time for Maton to sit out a few games in order to get himself right, Hinch said that is not currently in the plans. In fact, Hinch noted that if he would sit Maton against the Phillies, some damage may be done to his office.
“I don’t feel good about it,” he said. “I don’t feel like he’s defeated. I don’t feel like he’s mentally drained. I don’t feel like he’s backing off. It’s just, fundamentally, he’s in a tough spot. Right now I’m not considering that.
“If I did that in Philly, he would walk into my office and throw my desk. That’s not the series to do it. If anything, maybe that will lock him in.”
Bottom Line: Hinch is not ready to bench Maton
The upcoming series between the Tigers and Phillies holds special significance for Nick Maton and Matt Vierling as they receive their National League Championship rings in a pre-game ceremony. Despite Maton's struggles at the plate, Hinch is reluctant to bench him, fearing a strong reaction from the determined player. While Maton's performance has been subpar, Hinch hopes that the emotional reunion and facing his former team will motivate him to bounce back. The series in Philadelphia will be an important test for Maton and an opportunity for him to reestablish himself on the field.
