Bold start: health and momentum collide as a veteran reliever fights for a bullpen role and a fresh start amid a crowded Tigers roster. Now more than ever, the story matters because every spring decision could shape Detroit’s late-inning fire for the season. Here’s a polished rewrite that preserves all key details while clarifying context for beginners, with a professional yet engaging tone.
Opportunity misfired, then a comeback in sight.
In Lakeland, Florida, Tigers manager AJ Hinch aimed to create a specific matchup: right-hander Scott Effross against former Tiger Zack Short. The scenario would have been ideal. Effross, a non-roster invitee attempting to win a bullpen spot in Detroit, would face Short, who is trying to secure a Yankees roster spot. The two are friends who broke in with the Cubs, were teammates with the Yankees, and are sharing a spring-time home together.
Short hasn’t played for Detroit since 2023, but the two coaches and players still riff back and forth with good-natured banter. Hinch’s dream was watching the right-handed hitter Short attempt to stay in against Effross’s distinctive three-quarters, funky delivery.
“Yeah, AJ told me that in our meeting the other day,” Effross said with a laugh. “That’d be fun.”
But Effross wasn’t on the Tigers’ travel roster Saturday. He finally made his spring debut on Sunday, allowing a run on two hits in a 4-4 split-squad tie against the Orioles at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Effross, a 32-year-old sinker-slider pitcher, induced ground-ball outs from the three right-handed hitters he faced in the second inning. He was then tagged for a double by lefty-swinging Samuel Basallo and gave up a two-out RBI single to switch-hitter Reed Trimble, who batted left-handed.
Historically, Effross handles left-handed batters well (.191/.285/.278), but last season lefties hit him harder: 7 for 19 with three doubles.
He’s one of 13 healthy, non-roster relievers in camp. Most are veterans, each with a unique skill set, and Effross’s arm angle stands out. The Tigers signed him after another side-armer, Chase Lee, was traded to Toronto.
“I know I present a different angle,” Effross said. “That makes me excited to contribute.”
Like 10 of the 13 non-roster invitees, Effross carries significant major-league service time. He logged 100 innings for the Cubs between 2021 and 2022. Since then, he’s fought just to get back on the field.
Effross moved to the Yankees in 2022 and faced a tough sequence: Tommy John surgery just before the postseason, then back surgery at the end of 2023. Just as he was finally healthy, he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in Yankees’ camp last spring and never quite found his footing.
“It was definitely a struggle,” Effross acknowledged. “Subconsciously, maybe I was just trying to compete with what I had. It’s important to have a healthy spring and build up the right way. At times last year I felt like I was chasing. I didn’t pitch to the standard I set for myself or the standard the Yankees set for me.”
Now fully healthy, he’s grateful for a fresh start, even if cracking the Opening Day roster remains a long shot.
“Super grateful for a kind of fresh start here,” he said. “I know how important bullpens are to every team, but specifically to this team. It seems like the last couple of years they’ve had a lot of success, and the bullpen has played a big role.”
Hinch echoed the sentiment: opportunities aren’t plentiful, but they exist. The Tigers used 35 pitchers last season, and with health in place, chances will arise.
“Providing health, there aren’t a lot of jobs open, but there are jobs open,” Hinch noted. “The more they can feature their strengths, the better we can see how they fit in matchup situations. We don’t care where you came from or whether you’re inside the organization or new to it. Each player is signed for a strong ability.”
Clark’s clutch moment
Meanwhile, Tigers prospect Max Clark delivered a defining moment. After ending the previous game with a strikeout with the bases loaded in a 20-3 loss to the Yankees in Tampa, Clark came back on Sunday and lined a two-out, opposite-field RBI single off former teammate left-hander Andrew Mango to knot the score in the ninth.
Clark reflected on the moment: adrenaline is constant in big spots, but the opportunity to deliver under pressure is what he’s chasing. “I want the moment,” he said, especially facing a lefty. He and Mango had shared Double-A Erie last year and later chatted after the game.
In that plate appearance, left-handed hitter Josue Briceno hit ahead of Clark, providing a read on Mango’s approach. Briceno himself cracked a 91 mph four-seamer to left field, but his drive stayed in the park while Clark’s found the grass.
Hinch called it a small victory in a big moment: “It’s still a big moment when you’re up to bat with the game on the line. It was nice to see him put a good swing on it.”
Game notes
- Catcher Tomas Nido absorbed a 93-mph fastball to the helmet from Orioles right-hander Brandon Young. The blow hit the top of his helmet, pinning him briefly, but Nido stayed in the game.
- The Tigers pulled off a sharp relay in the third inning to cut down a run at the plate. Jose Barrero hit a line drive to left, Austin Slater fielded and threw to cutoff man Zack McKinstry, who turned and delivered to Nido just in time to tag Barrero at home.
- Slater, a non-roster veteran vying for the crowded outfield, took advantage of a helping wind blowing toward right field. His 93.6 mph exit velocity fly ball, with a 44-degree launch angle, sailed 327 feet beyond the wall inside the foul pole.
- A light moment in the fifth: Basallo challenged a called third strike by umpire Laz Diaz. Replay showed it was a strike, and Diaz, with a playful stance, hinted at question with his hands on his hips. Hinch praised Diaz’s personality as a positive addition to ABS-related banter.
All in all, the spring is about testing angles, building health, and discovering how each player fits into Detroit’s bullpen puzzle. And as the conversations among players and coaches continue, the question remains: who will seize the openings when the regular season begins, and how will they shape the late-inning game?
Chris McCosky, Detroit News
