Rising Star Perez Rests as Tigers Face Royals

After bursting onto the scene with a torrid start to his Major League career, rookie outfielder Wenceel Perez will get a day off on Friday as the Detroit Tigers begin a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park.

The 23-year-old Dominican has been a revelation since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on April 12th. In his first 29 plate appearances at the big league level, Perez is hitting .269 with a .352 on-base percentage and an impressive .807 OPS. He has also flashed his speed on the basepaths, swiping two bags while legging out a pair of triples.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has eased Perez into the lineup by starting him predominantly against right-handed pitching initially. The rookie has started 9 of Detroit’s last 12 games, giving Hinch’s veteran outfielders like Austin Meadows and Kerry Carpenter a chance to stay fresh as well.

“Wenceel has made a really nice impression in a short period of time,” said Hinch. “We need to be smart about how we utilize all of our outfielders though. Getting him a little breather against the lefty (Royals starter Kris Bubic) made sense before this tough stretch coming up.”

After wrapping up the series in Kansas City on Sunday, the Tigers head west for a 10-game road trip through Texas, Arizona and San Francisco. Hinch knows he’ll need his entire outfield corps rested and ready for that grind.

Perez has impressed with his overall plate discipline and approach in addition to the loud tools that earned him a $1.6 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. Despite the gaudy numbers so far, he downplays any notion of beginner’s luck.

“I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, so I don’t think it’s luck at all,” Perez said through an interpreter. “I’m just trying to have good at-bats, get on base, drive the ball when I can and make things happen on the bases. Putting in that work and preparation is paying off.”

The tools have been evident from Perez’s first few games. He scorched a triple off the right-center field wall at Tropicana Field in his second career start on April 13th. Four days later, he unleashed his elite speed by legging out an opposite-field triple after slicing a ball into the left-field corner at Comerica.

Perhaps his most memorable moment so far was his first career home run - a towering two-run shot off Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan in Detroit’s 3-2 win on April 18th. As Perez rounded the bases following the no-doubter to left-center, he held a toothy grin and pounded his chest in celebration.

“That was just pure adrenaline and joy,” Perez recalled. “Hitting your first big league homer off a great pitcher like McClanahan, that’s something I’ll never forget. Just a really special feeling that I tried to soak in.”

Despite the hot start, Perez knows he has a long way to go to establish himself as an everyday big leaguer. The Tigers’ outfield is already crowded with Meadows, Carpenter, Riley Greene and others vying for playing time. But his early impression leaves no doubt he’ll be a key part of Detroit’s future plans.

For now though, Perez’s primary focus is just continuing to produce whenever Hinch pencils him into the lineup. A day off against the Royals left-hander should have him refreshed for the rest of the weekend set.

“I’ll be ready whenever he calls my name,” Perez stated. “If that’s Saturday, Sunday or whenever, I just want to keep helping us win games however I can.”

With his immense talent and drive, it’s only a matter of time until Wenceel Perez becomes an everyday starter in the Motor City.