MINNEAPOLIS — Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Lange leaned back in his chair in front of his locker in the visitor's clubhouse Monday afternoon at Target Field, ahead of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.
He clutched a piece of burning wood.
Palo Santo — "holy wood" in English — is supposed to create an invigorating fragrance and so it did in the atmosphere surrounding Lange's locker. The scent: a mixture of pine, mint and lemon.
"Relieves stress," Lange said, as a group of teammates reclined in their chairs while using their phones.