Detroit Free Press sports writer Anthony Fenech hands out first-half grades for the Detroit Tigers:
Position players
James McCann: C
McCann is going through a sophomore slump of sorts, not productive in the batter’s box but still steady behind the plate. He missed three weeks in April with a right ankle sprain, which lingered throughout the first half. The Tigers haven’t limited his playing time, opting to stick with him as the starting catcher throughout this critical stage of development, as he continues to grow in defensive experience and pitch framing. McCann has struggled against right-handed pitching, hitting just .