Detroit Tigers spring training games: Time, TV channel for split-squad matchups
Grapefruit League: Detroit Tigers (1-1-1) vs. Baltimore (3-1) and Toronto (1-2)
When: Both at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Ed Smith Stadium (Orioles) in Sarasota, Florida, & Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.
TV: None.
Radio: Vs. Blue Jays on WXYT-FM (1270 AM in Detroit; Tigers radio affiliates).
⋅ BOX SCORE vs. Orioles.
⋅ BOX SCORE vs. Blue Jays.
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Probable starting pitchers in Tigers vs. Blue Jays: Tigers RHP Casey Mize (did not pitch in 2023) vs. Blue Jays RHP Alek Manoah (3-9, 5.87 ERA in 2023).
Probable starting pitchers in Tigers vs. Orioles: Tigers RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 3.58 ERA in 2023) vs. Orioles RHP Grayson Rodriguez (7-4, 4.35 ERA in 2023).
YESTERDAY'S GAME: Riley Greene returns, Jack Flaherty works quickly in Detroit Tigers' 4-0 win over Astros
Game notes: The Detroit Tigers are no longer winless in the Grapefruit League after beating the Houston Astros on Monday. Can they get two wins in one day on Tuesday via split-squad games?
The Tigers will be dividing up their team on Tuesday, with roughly half the squad heading to Sarasota to face to Orioles, and the rest of the crew staying back in Lakeland to take on the Blue Jays.
Split-squad games are a way to make the schedules work since the Grapefruit League only has 15 teams in Florida, and it's also a way to get more players reps. And on Tuesday, that means two potential members of the Tigers' starting rotation will be on the mound.
In the friendly confines of Joker Marchant Stadium, former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize is scheduled to make his much-anticipated return to the rubber after missing the entire 2023 season. Mize has been slowly working his way back and looks to be ready to make the next step by returning to the mound for spring training. If you're down in Lakeland and want to see Mize pitch, you should get there early, as he likely won't have a big workload and could be pulled pretty quickly as he is eased back in. Mize looked good in a live batting practice earlier this spring training, including when he showed off what looks like an improved fastball with more vertical break. Barring something super surprising, Mize's performance will likely be the story of the day for the Tigers on Tuesday.
About an hour and a half down the road in Sarasota, Matt Manning will get his first start of the exhibition games this spring against the Orioles. The biggest thing this year for Manning will be to try and stay healthy. The 6-foot-6 starter has had some really bad luck over his career with injuries, including breaking his foot twice last year on two separate comebackers, first in April and then again in September. Manning has been inconsistent in his career so far, with some of that due to injuries, to be fair.
To this point, he's never pitched in more than 18 games in a season, with high rookie year being the highest. Manning only pitched in 12 games in 2022 and 15 in 2023 as he dealt with the foot injuries.
Next up, the full Tigers squad will make the journey over to LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates before moving over to Ft. Myers, Florida to face the Boston Red Sox.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers spring training: Time, TV channel for split-squad games
