When the Detroit Tigers optioned outfielder Derek Hill to Triple-A Toledo during spring training, the organization clarified that their aging prospect — the No. 23 overall pick in the 2014 draft — still wasn't ready for a full-time gig in the big leagues.
Manager AJ Hinch added to the message.
"I told him he's going to play for us, just not out of the chute," Hinch said March 16, when Hill was eliminated from Opening Day roster considerations.
The time is now for Hill's opportunity, as the Tigers aim to find out which players will be key pieces in the future.