Head Coach Torey Lovullo’s Bold Comments and Kenta Maeda Update After Devastating Loss!
The Detroit Tigers took two out of three games from the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend, including a crushing 13-0 defeat for the Snakes on Friday night at Chase Field in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks, last year’s National League champions, have been struggling this season, and the Tigers added to their woes.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo found himself at the center of controversy during Saturday’s game when he got into a shouting match with Tigers starter Jack Flaherty. While the confrontation didn’t escalate to the point of emptying dugouts, it was clear that tensions were high between the two teams.
Following Sunday’s game, Lovullo spoke to the media and made some surprising comments about the Tigers. Initially, he praised them, saying, “The Tigers are a good team. I would not be surprised if they made a lot of noise inside the AL Central. They’re finding their way.” This was a reasonable assessment, considering the Tigers’ potential to contend in their division.
However, Lovullo’s comments soon became questionable. “They do a really good job with two outs,” he said. “You can’t put them away. You can’t finish them off.” This statement raised eyebrows, as it didn’t align with the Tigers’ performance statistics. Detroit has struggled with two outs, batting just .223/.296/.365 in such situations, ranking 20th in the league with a .661 OPS. Lovullo’s remarks seemed disconnected from reality.
In other Tigers news, there was an update on Kenta Maeda’s injury status. Maeda, who had been dealing with an illness, made a rehab start with Triple-A over the weekend. He pitched three-plus innings for the Mud Hens, giving up one run on three hits and striking out six batters.
Jason Beck of MLB.com reported that Maeda has rejoined the Tigers at Kauffman Stadium for their upcoming series against the Kansas City Royals. While the team is unlikely to activate him until just before his next start, Maeda’s performance indicated that he’s ready to return to the rotation. The Tigers are expected to reactivate Maeda later this week.
As the Diamondbacks and Tigers move forward, Lovullo’s controversial comments and Maeda’s return will be key points of focus for both teams.
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