Dillon

Dingler

Dinger put the Tigers on the board early, scoring two runs on a triple off Cade Povich in the second inning. He later knocked a base hit in the seventh and reached for a third time with a walk in the eighth. The 26-year-old catcher is hitting .145/.177/.289 with one homer and ten RBI across 79 plate appearances.

Dingler came off the bench Thursday and had a key passed ball in the ninth inning of the loss to the Rockies. The start tonight is his first in six days.

It seems several Tigers players are dealing with a bug. Jake Rogers will be behind the plate with Dingler unable to start.

Dingler singled in the second inning to plate Spencer Torkelson and put the Tigers up 1-0. It’s just the fifth RBI of the season for Dingler, who was playing in his 10th game since being promoted to the big league squad back on July 29. He entered the day batting .161 on the year and can be left on waiver wires despite the multi-hit night.

The second-inning homer off Hayden Birdsong was hit 108 mph and would have been a homer in 19 ballparks, according to Statcast. The double, which came three innings later, actually would have been a homer in 26 ballparks. He also had a 104.5-mph lineout, so it was a day of impressive at-bats for him. The 2020 second-round pick is 5-for-24 since taking Carson Kelly’s spot in Detroit.

As anticipated, Dingler gets the call to the big-leagues for the first time after Carson Kelly was dealt to the Rangers on Sunday. The 25-year-old slugger had been swinging a very hot bat at Triple-A Toledo where he was slashing .308/.379/.559 with 17 homers, 52 RBI and five stolen bases through 263 at-bats. He’ll share the load behind the plate with Jake Rogers for the remainder of the season and his power potential could make him an intriguing option in deeper two-catcher mixed leagues and AL-only formats.

It’s about time. The Tigers dealt Carson Kelly to the Rangers on Sunday to free up a spot on the roster for Dingler for the remainder of the 2024 season. The 25-year-old backstop has been swinging an extremely hot bat at Triple-A Toledo, homering in five straight games and slashing .308/.379/.559 with 17 homers, 52 RBI and five stolen bases overall through 263 at-bats on the season. If he hits the ground running, he could be worth a look in two-catcher leagues and AL-only formats.

There’s been some talk of a Carson Kelly trade, and if that happens, Dingler could get his first look in the majors. He’s had a terrific season for Toledo, hitting .306/.375/.549 with 16 homers in 69 games.

Leonard was reportedly in the running for a bench spot with Detroit, but the club ultimately will send him down to Triple-A to start the season. The 23-year-old posted a .904 OPS in 40 games with Triple-A Toledo in 2023, so there’s likely a chance he gets an opportunity down the road barring an injury.

Dingler is coming back from surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’ll be the primary catcher at Triple-A Toledo this season, and he could make his major league debut if either Jake Rogers or Carson Kelly gets hurt, though it’s possible the Tigers would bypass him for a more veteran option if an extra catcher is needed early on.