With Jake Rogers nearing his return from injury, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is preparing for a potential surplus at the catcher position — and he sees it as a positive development.
Rogers, currently in the middle of a rehab stint and hitting well (five hits, three doubles in 15 at-bats), is close to rejoining a roster that already features rookie Dillon Dingler, who has impressed with a .765 OPS and strong defense, and veteran Tomas Nido, who provides steady reliability.
Rather than setting rigid roles, Hinch plans to keep things fluid.
“As you’d expect, I don’t look much further ahead than a series or two,” Hinch told the Detroit News. “I expect both guys to play in every series. We don’t need to overanalyze the playing time breakdown.”
Hinch emphasized flexibility and competition over fixed roles. “Whoever gives us the best chance that day is who will play,” he said. “It’s a good thing to have multiple quality catchers.”
The Tigers now have three catchers with different strengths: Rogers is an elite pitch framer with right-handed power, Dingler is emerging as a future cornerstone behind the plate, and Nido adds experience and defensive steadiness.
Rogers is expected back by month’s end if his rehab stays on track. Dingler’s bat will make him tough to bench, while Nido could be squeezed out unless the team chooses to carry three catchers — a possibility due to designated hitter flexibility.
Bottom line: Hinch won’t assign strict starter/backup labels. Instead, he’ll manage based on matchups, performance, and keeping his options open. Catcher, once a question mark, has become a position of depth — and that suits the Tigers just fine.
