Toronto — It seemed curious at first.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch’s lineup for Friday night had Victor Reyes at designated hitter, giving Miguel Cabrera a night off, and Willi Castro in right field. That seemed backwards, given that Reyes is a true outfielder and Castro is just learning to play out there.
But, as always, there is a method to Hinch’s madness. There is a long game in play here, as well as some strategical reasons for deploying the two players the way he did.
“We continue to want to give experience to Willi in the outfield,” Hinch said.