A.J. Hinch on Tigers' woes: 'If we're getting frustrated now, then we're late'

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsStarting Pitcher RankingsMLB Latest By the end of Monday night, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was back on the dais, having to answer for another loss. Evan Bernstein / Getty Images Share articleDETROIT — A.J. Hinch began Monday energized. Tarik Skubal was back in Detroit and, miraculously, threw a bullpen only 12 days after surgery. Young right-hander Troy Melton made a brief visit before heading out for another rehab start, another sign of hope on the horizon. The reinforcements are coming, and Hinch seemed focused on a new series against the Cleveland Guardians and positive about the outlook ahead. “The optimist in me — which, there’s still an optimist in there — is saying it’s going to be a short period of time,” Hinch said of second baseman Gleyber Torres and his impending rehab assignment. By the end of the night, Hinch was back on the dais, having to answer for another loss. The Detroit Tigers have dropped 11 of 13 games. The woes have extended far past the team’s long list of injuries. The Tigers have scored more than three runs only once in the past seven games. They entered Monday’s game ranking 27th in average, 27th in strikeout rate, 29th in OPS and 30th in slugging percentage in May. Spencer Torkelson, once a No. 1 pick, is hitting .191. Zach McKinstry, an All-Star last season, is batting .173. Matt Vierling, the outfielder who missed so much of last season, homered Monday but is still hitting only .211. Wenceel Pérez, the switch hitter who came through in so many big moments over the past two years, is hitting .163. Injured as the team is, it is difficult to grasp why the Tigers have Zack Short, who has only 20 hits in his past 131 major-league at-bats dating to the start of 2024, starting games at shortstop. So as Hinch atoned for another difficult night, he did not necessarily appear frazzled or dismayed. For much of a six-year Tigers tenure filled with wild ups and downs, Hinch has mostly carried a consistent, levelheaded demeanor. But a team that entered the year with World Series hopes now has a 20-28 record, and Hinch’s optimism could only prevail for so long. “If we’re getting frustrated now, then we’re late,” Hinch said, asked about the long list of underperforming players. “Where we’re at, we’re going to have to stay together, work together and really dig ourselves out of this one step at a time. But I worried about frustration a long time ago. This has been a grind for a lot of these guys, and you’re right: Their track record is not matching what we’re getting, and that’s always tough.” For so much of this season, the Tigers’ brand of play has been downright sloppy. Let’s limit the view to Monday. Left-handed hitter Steven Kwan entered the game hitting .201. Left-handed pitchers Framber Valdez and Brant Hurter combined to walk him three times. Riley Greene, the most productive hitter on this team, got back-picked off at first base. Later, Hurter should have picked off a Cleveland runner who danced far off the bag. Instead, Hurter was slow to react, then spiked a throw to first. Greene gets us on the board! pic.twitter.com/rbzUfkmbOH — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 18, 2026 Dating to the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays, far too many Tigers at-bats have seemed utterly lifeless. Facing the Blue Jays on a bullpen day, they chased spin in the dirt and struck out 14 times. Sunday against Kevin Gausman, the Tigers again struggled to generate anything beyond weak contact. Before Monday’s game, Hinch had pushed back on the idea that there was an issue with his team’s energy. “I think the lack-of-energy thought is just a comforting feeling for those that want to see it that way,” Hinch said. “There’s not a lot of action. … There’s not a lot of running and sliding and scoring. Not a lot of high-fiving. That doesn’t mean there’s a lack of energy. That means there’s a lack of production. There’s a big difference between there being this lull and misery and pouting and pissiness and all the things that come along with what people perceive as a lack of energy, when in reality it’s a lack of production.” But just like success breeds energy, droughts can instill defeat. Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi entered Monday’s game with a 5.60 ERA. The Tigers, to their credit, struck out only five times for the night. But they put 20 balls in play against Cecconi and mustered an average exit velocity of only 84.5 mph. It’s not been hard to see that no one is loving this spell, and it’s taking a toll. “You’re right: We are grinding,” catcher Dillon Dingler said. “The results haven’t been there. I have full confidence in the offense turning things around.” In the low points of a season, blame from the fans often starts at the top. Old criticisms about not adding a single major-league hitter to the roster this winter resurface. Questions about the manager’s in-game choices come under more scrutiny. Hinch’s managerial magic has not been at the peak of its power so far this season, at least in part because his bullpen lacks octane and so many hitters have underperformed. Hinch knows the criticism that comes with an all-consuming job. He has long prided himself on being a picture of stability even when things are teetering. It’s still not a fun position to be in. “I’m front and center, and I should be,” Hinch said. “I’m responsible for all the ins and outs of the team. I work tirelessly to try to find solutions. I get asked a lot about reactions and assessments, my opinion on things, and what I try to do is find solutions. That’s the manager’s role. … I try to lead by being a consistent leader. (Players) know what to expect coming in, and they know that the standards are high. But I’m in the trenches with them. Trying to find solutions doesn’t mean pointing blame or making unfair assessments. I’m in the trenches with them trying to be better at my job, (from) trying to find different ways to put them in successful positions to shouldering the blame when things aren’t going well. I’m the leader, and I got to find the solution.” What started as a rough patch in a long season is quickly spiraling into something more dire. In the weak American League, there is time for the tables to turn. But the longer this losing stretch drags on, the harder it is to conjure more of Hinch’s midday optimism. Maybe, then, admitting frustration is as good a place to start as any. “I know these guys are battling, and they’re grinding,” Hinch said. “I know a lot of people are giving up on them. We’re not giving up on each other.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms