This article first appeared in Puerto Rico’s daily El Nuevo Dia. I has been translated and edited in English for our readers to enjoy.
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Recovered from surgery on his right hip, the Puerto Rican shortstop yearns to prove his worth in Detroit’s young team after three seasons of poor performance at bat.
Lakeland, Florida – February 28 was a day of good news for Javier Báez. On this day orthopedic surgeon Thomas Lynch visited Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, the Detroit Tigers’ spring training home, to evaluate the Puerto Rican shortstop’s right hip, which underwent surgery last September.
Lynch, the head physician for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, cleared Báez to resume full physical activity.
“The Magician” can finally be “The Magician.”
Monday, March 2, marked the first day the Bayamon native batted and fielded at shortstop for the Tigers since August 22, 2024, in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
He didn’t have a chance to field ground balls in the infield with unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on the mound, recording three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
In the batter’s box, he faced his brother-in-law, starter José Berríos, in his first at-bat.
“La Makina” forced Báez to ground out a 95 mph fastball into a double play. He previously broke Báez’s bat with a changeup.
Báez and Berríos spent the day together before the game at a barbecue at the right-hander’s residence in Tampa. In the second at-bat, Báez hit a double that hit off the right-center field wall off the first pitch from left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, marking his first hit of the spring training season. He had debuted days earlier as the designated hitter. He left the game after four innings.
“I feel good. The recovery has been a success so far. I’ve felt pretty good. I’ve passed all the tests they’ve given me to be 100 percent. Little by little, I’m increasing my volume,” Báez told El Nuevo Día.
“Super excited to be back. Trying to stay healthy again and put up the numbers I’m supposed to put up,” he added.
Hinch: “Javier can make us a better team.”
On the other hand, for manager A.J. Hinch, his focus isn’t on Báez’s abilities as an outfielder. He’s proven at the position with a Gold Glove in his trophy cabinet in the majors. The coach wants the Puerto Rican to regain his confidence in the offense, which has been lacking since signing a six-year, $140 million contract after the 2021 season.
“He’s been playing very energetically since they gave him the freedom to do things on the field. We’re trying to prepare him for the season without thinking about his rehabilitation, forgetting what would happen if he slides or runs the bases,” Hinch commented.
“When Javier is healthy and stays in the strike zone, getting on base, he can help a team win. We have something good going on with the young group, but obviously, Javier can make us a better team. Our goal this entire season is to keep him healthy and put his injury out of his mind. We’re going in that direction, and now his play on the field will speak volumes about his role on the team,” he added.
Praise from José Berríos
After finishing his outing against the Tigers, Berríos was also pleased to see his teammate on “Team Rubio” back to normal.
“I’ve never been in that position, thank God. I cancel out all the bad stuff. But seeing him on my side was a slow process. He stayed focused, doing what he had to do day after day. I saw him determined to keep improving, healing, and he did,” Berríos shared.
So far this spring training, Báez has two hits in 11 at-bats for a .182 batting average, two RBIs, and one run scored.
“It hasn’t been that easy (recovering my swing after the surgery) because I’ve had to get used to my body weight again. But it’s been a long process, requiring a lot of patience. Thank God, everything went well,” Báez noted.
During Báez’s absence, 24-year-old Tray Sweeney played shortstop in his major league debut. With Báez back in spring training, Sweeney has seen at-bats as the designated hitter.
Báez, a World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, had three forgettable years with Detroit. His average is .221 with 32 home runs and 163 RBIs in 360 games. Last year, before his injury, he finished with a .184 batting average and just six home runs in 80 games.
While Báez recovered from surgery, the Tigers’ young core made a late-season push to capture an American League wild card, finishing with an 86-76 record, third in the AL Central.
They eliminated the Houston Astros in the wild card series before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series.
