Lakeland, Fla. — Manager AJ Hinch didn’t exactly pull punches when he was asked about where right-hander Kyle Funkhouser stood in the Tigers’ pitching plans.
“He is in that gray area right now in between Triple A and the big leagues,” Hinch said last week. “He got a little taste (of the big leagues last season), but there’s been too many walks.”
As if on cue, Funkhouser painted the same picture in his first outing of the spring Monday in Tampa in the Tigers' 5-4 Grapefruit League loss to the New York Yankees. He walked two in a 28-pitch first inning, but he also showcased his nasty power sinker (93 mph), which he used to freeze and strike out Jay Bruce on a 3-2 pitch.