A.J. Hinch's explanation for Alex Lange demotion is slap in face of Tigers fans
By Lior Lampert
As a former World Series champion and two-time Pennant winner, manager A.J. Hinch is trying to instill a winning culture in a young Detroit Tigers club. So, he demoted 28-year-old right-hander Alex Lange after a physically and emotionally trying stretch for the reliever.
The Tigers have announced the following roster moves:
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) May 23, 2024
• Optioned RHP Alex Lange to Triple A Toledo
• Recalled RHP Mason Englert from Triple A Toledo
The Tigers announced that they optioned Lange to their triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, recalling right-hander Mason Englert in a corresponding move. While the former has struggled with his accuracy and consistency in 2024 (and for most of his career), the timing of the decision is noteworthy.
Lange got frustrated after allowing a two-run double to Bobby Whit Jr. against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The broadcast didn't show footage of the instance. But the announcers mentioned he launched a baseball "about 90 miles per hour over the Tigers dugout" in frustration, prompting Hinch to give him a mouthful during a mound visit:
I still haven’t seen any footage of Alex Lange firing the ball into the netting, but the KC TV broadcast discussed it right away…and for the lip readers, there’s a pretty good look at what Hinch said to Lange. pic.twitter.com/nU4ssl2548
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrown0914) May 23, 2024
Coincidence that Lange was sent down to the minors nearly 24 hours later? It's hard to envision there not being a correlation, even if Hinch is doing his best to downplay the situation with his recent explanation.
A.J. Hinch's explanation for Alex Lange demotion is slap in face of Tigers fans
A.J. Hinch: "I’ll answer the obvious question: After all the emotion yesterday, is this a reaction to something? The answer is no. We’ve talked about Alex in recent weeks, or actually for the entirety of his major-league career, about strike-throwing and execution." https://t.co/CUxCozHtuw
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) May 23, 2024
Hinch addressed the media on Wednesday and started by answering the "obvious question," per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. "After all the emotion yesterday, is this a reaction to something? The answer is no," he said. "We’ve talked about Alex [Lange] in recent weeks, or actually for the entirety of his major-league career, about strike-throwing and execution."
Moreover, Hinch told reporters that the team determined Toledo as the "best place" for Lange to work on his command, adding that it could be a "short stint."
While Hinch insists otherwise, we can't help but think the move was because of Lange's outburst on Wednesday.
Lange is 0-3 with a 4.34 ERA, 1.768 WHIP and 21 strikeouts across 18.2 innings of work this season. He leads the American League in wild pitches (four) and has a career-low 57.8 percent strike rate, highlighting what Hinch alluded to in his comments. So, maybe he is telling the truth. If so, that is a slap in the face for a Tigers fan base that has had high hopes for the young and inconsistent, albeit talented pitcher.
A former first-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2018, Lange has the tools to turn things around. Maybe some time in Toledo could be a good opportunity to get his mind right.
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