GAME 41 - Detroit Tigers @ Kansas City Royals May 10, 2026 7:20 PM EDT

[byco42]

GAME 41 - Tigers @ Royals
May 10, 2026 7:20 PM EDT
Kaufmann Stadium


Brenan Hanifee #75 RHP
0-0 / 0.00/ 0.90

Tigers (18-22) 4th ALC -2.0 L5

1. M Vierling (R) CF
2. K McGonigle (L) 3B
3. J Jones (R) DH
4. D Dingler (R) C
5. R Greene (L) LF
6. W Pérez (S) RF
7. S Torkelson (R) 1B
8. H Lee (R) 2B
9. Z Short (R) SS

Noah Cameron #65 LHP
2-2 / 5.40 / 1.61

Royals (19-21) 3rd ALC -2.0 W2

1. M Garcia (R) 3B
2. B Witt Jr. (R) SS
3. V Pasquantino (L) 1B
4. I Collins (S) LF
5. C Jensen (L) DH
6. N Loftin (R) 2B
7. J Caglianone (L) RF
8. E Díaz (R) C
9. K Isbel (L) CF

 

[kalinecountry]

The Detroit Tigers are now 40 games into the 2026 season, which means it’s time for me to share some thoughts and observations.I think the bottom line is this: it’s not completely doom and gloom yet, but there’s no sugarcoating it either — this has been bad baseball.The bullpen has flat-out tossed away games. Kenley Jansen is feeling more like a Joe Nathan 2.0 signing than a stabilizer, and I’m not sure there’s an easy fix. The alleged “Big 3” at the back end suddenly doesn’t look so big. Vest was bad more often than good before landing on the IL. Finnegan who everyone praises has some serious warning signs beneath the surface.Yes, the results with Finnegan’s tenure in Detroit has been strong, but in 2026 he is currently sporting a 4.60 FIP, 13 walks in 17.2 innings, and a K/9 dropping from 11.6 last year to 6.6 this year. These are all flashing caution lights.Then there’s the defense, which has been abysmal. Catcher has been very good. McGonigle looking roughly average at short as a rookie is honestly better than expected. He will end up solid but not elite in time. Beyond that? You can pick apart every position defensively.Here is one bright spot: Despite this ugly stretch, the Tigers are still +1 in run differential overall. They’re actually the only team in the Central that’s positive with Cleveland sitting at -3. That tells you this team isn’t completely dead — but it also shows how badly they’ve underperformed in key moments.Scotty Boy has a real conundrum now. The lineup has to get better against lefties, and they clearly need more than one reliable bullpen arm. That is a lot to patch up when your farm system is top heavy and 2 top prospects are injured, 1 of whom is suspect anyways, and a 3rd is striking out at a pace that makes 2025 Riley Greene blush. We’ll see what the rotation looks like once everyone gets healthy, but the other holes on the team have been exposed early and often.And here’s the uncomfortable reality: This isn’t just a tiny slump anymore. The Tigers are 17 games under .500 since July 8th of last season. That’s not a small sample. At some point, that becomes more representative of who you are than the first 3 1/2 months of 2026. Looking beyond this season, the short-term future looks a lot hazier than it did last season than the “wait for the kids” crowd yelled so confidently for years. Some of those roses-and-butterflies voices on the stay patient train also have an interest in staying in the organization’s good graces and avoiding real criticism. When some of us say don’t believe all the overhype there is a reason for it. I love to use some hyperbole and colorful language for laughs at times but I’ll use what Floyd Mayweather said after a fight, paraphrasing: That’s just to sell tickets and draw interest. Overall, I pride myself on being honest and objective. While this season is not lost by any means yet, the ugly is real. Clean up the defense and the bullpen walks and this team can still win the cesspool that is the AL Central, but the concerns are real.

TigerMikeTheSequel

 

[kalinecountry]

I guess they had enough of Keith and possibly others playing 3rd base.
Gage Workman is back with the Tigers.

edit.
Maybe not. I saw it on Twitter around 11:00 am and can't find it in the usual daily places I look. It is possible that once again, Carpenter will be on the 10 day IL.

edit.
Well I'm sticking with it this time. Tiger Minor League Report posted this.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/gage-...paign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Gage Workman Earned This Shot. Now He Has to Take Advantage of It.
TMLR

Workman’s numbers at Triple-A Toledo made the decision hard to ignore. He was hitting .358/.413/.590 with a 162 wRC+, and while the slash line is impressive, the more important part is how he got there. Workman cut his Triple-A strikeout rate by a significant amount from last season, bringing it down to 23.3%. For a player whose swing-and-miss has always been the biggest question, that is the number that changes the conversation.

Tigers Place Kerry Carpenter On 10-Day IL, Select Gage Workman

Carpenter's shoulder injury leads to some roster shuffling, including a prominent 60-day IL move. MLB Trade Rumors has the details.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

Tigers Place Kerry Carpenter On 10-Day IL, Select Gage Workman.
MLBTR

https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2026/05/tigers-place-kerry-carpenter-on-injured-list-call-up-infielder-from-toledo.html

Tigers place Kerry Carpenter on injured list, call up infielder from Toledo.
Mlive

 

[tigermud]

We need better right handed batters with all these lefties we’re always facing all the time. It’s unbelievable how many games have been vs lefty starters.

 

[biggunsbob]

Jones is a worthless major league player. Tigers have many of those type of hitters.

 

[biggunsbob]

Perez is just an awful RF. Misjudges a ball into a single. Late break I think.

 

[biggunsbob]

Hanifee gives up 2 singles and gets two outs.
Hanifee gets the lefty.

 

[tigermud]

Tigers defense is at the bottom portion of the league. Inexcusable

 

[coulomb]

I wish i was as smart as AJ hinch. Mofo must bend metal with his mind..

 

[biggunsbob]

21 games in a row Greene has been on base.

 

[biggunsbob]

How does Greene not read that right ? He wasn’t even half way.
I guess but it feels like Greene should be on 2nd.

Lee triples and scores Perez from 1st. Hit off RF wall.
Tigers lead 1-0.
Short BB
Vierling double (e-8) gets him to 3rd.
plates two. Tigers lead 3-0. (Left center)
McGonigle 4-3. His slump continues.

 

[nydo77]

Where was the last strike to Tork? Gameday is still showing it as a foot below the zone.

 

[biggunsbob]

KC 2nd.
Hurter promptly walks the leadoff hitter :/
BB (out at 2nd)
FC 1-5 FC
K
Lineout to Tork.

Tigers lead 3-0 heading to the third.

 

[biggunsbob]

Tigers lead 3-0
Tigers 3rd
Jones (infield single) I thought error .
Dingler BB
Greene (1-2) (3-2) count, swings at a ball high K’s
Perez. (1-2), (2-2), (3-2), foul, popout 2nd….
Tork K’s badly.


Greene our best hitter…k’s on a ball high out of the zone.
I cannot stand Perez. He is just a worthless hitter.
Tork isn't seeing anything well .

 

[tigermud]

More stellar mudhen defense

 

[nydo77]

That was the second time in the game that a pitcher opened with a called strike to Garcia, and followed up with the same exact pitch for a hit. Is that on the pitcher, or Dingler?

 

[biggunsbob]

Why was Hurter pulled after 18 pitches ?
Anderson Blows. I don’t get pulling hurter
Keystone cops in the infield.

KC 3rd
double
single
Single 3-1
K
Sac fly 3-2 (deep RF)
K

Tigers only lead 3-2.
Anderson era stand at 5.40. Great find Harris.

 

[tigermud]

Why was Hurter pulled ?
Keystone cops in the infield .

AJ wants to use the entire pen as quickly as possible so we can get to Rogers for the 9th

 

[nydo77]

Why was Hurter pulled after 18 pitches ?
Anderson Blows. I don’t get pulling hurter
Keystone cops in the infield.

KC 3rd
double
singles
Singles 3-1
Sac fly 3-2 (deep RF)

It's all lefty-righty calculations. That seems to override everything else with AJ.

 

[tigermud]

The tigers are like the lions now but worse.

Lots of injuries and no defense

But with the tigers they don’t have the decent offense to help offset it sometimes.