Matt

Vierling

McKinstry had been on the bench for the last two games with Matt Vierling playing third base. On Thursday. Vierling will move to right field and Wenceel Perez will move to the bench. The rest of the lineup will stay the same against Tanner Bibee.

Vierling has had to battle for playing time a bit of late with the Tigers getting healthy again, but the 27-year-old has been solid when he’s been in the lineup, coming into today hitting .279 in 41 games since the All-Star break with four home runs, 26 runs scored, and 11 RBI. He hits near the top of the Tigers’ lineup when he does play, which keeps him on the deep league radar.

Carpenter will take a seat for Saturday afternoon’s matinee with lefty-masher Matt Vierling getting the nod to face Oakland rookie southpaw Brady Basso. The 27-year-old slugger is batting .279 (19-for-68) with six homers in 20 games since returning from the injured list back on August 13.

Vierling got the scoring start with a solo homer off Yu Darvish in the first inning. After reaching on a groundout in the third, he stole second and scored on a base hit by Colt Keith. Vierling later added a base hit in the seventh. The versatile 27-year-old is having a solid season, slashing .262/.307/.445 with 16 homers, 69 runs scored, 51 RBI, and five steals across 489 plate appearances.

Vierling led off the game with a double off of Ky Bush and scored the game’s first run on an RBI knock off the bat of Andy Ibanez. He then walloped a 394-foot solo shot off of Bush in the third inning that made it a 2-0 ballgame. Vierling also worked a walk in the fourth inning and scored on an RBI single by Spencer Torkelson. With his two-hit attack, Vierling is now slashing .258/.302/.443 with 15 homers and 49 RBI on the season.

Vierling got the scoring started in the top half of the first inning with a run-scoring double off of Chris Flexen. He then put them ahead to stay with an RBI single off of Justin Anderson in the seventh inning. Vierling also worked a walk in the ninth inning. The 27-year-old outfielder has had a solid season in the middle of the Tigers’ lineup, slashing .255/.296/.432 with 14 homers, 48 RBI and four stolen bases across 448 plate appearances.

Despite not technically being listed as a starter in many places, Malloy has now started five of the last six games for the Tigers, split between left field and designated hitter. Parker Meadows is locked into the center-field role, and Kerry Carpenter appears to be occupying the full-time designated hitter role since coming back, but Malloy has a chance to carve out playing time in left field with Matt Vierling in right field. That could get complicated when Riley Greene returns from his rehab assignment, but Vierling is sitting on Thursday and could move to third base when Greene returns, so Malloy, who’s hitting just .222 in 21 games since the All-Star break needs to start hitting soon if he wants to hold onto this playing time.

Vierling missed Friday and Saturday’s contests against Toronto with back spasms, but the 27-year-old will be the designated hitter and hit leadoff against Hayden Birdsong and the Giants.

Vierling will sit out his second straight contest due to back spasms. It’ll be Gio Urshela at third base and Akil Baddoo in left field.

Vierling, who exited Thursday’s game against the Mariners due to back spasms, had been expected to return to the Tigers’ lineup for their series opener against the Giants on Friday. He was still experiencing soreness in his back after his pre-game workout though, prompting his late scratch from the lineup. Ryan Vilade will start in his place against Robbie Ray and the Giants on Friday evening in San Francisco.