Alex Lange Struggling Early In Spring
8 months agoDetroit Tigers right-hander Alex Lange has struggled through his first two appearances of the spring after an inconsistent 2023 season, much of which was spent as the Tigers' closer. The 28-year-old has yielded four earned runs on five hits, including two homers, across just two innings of work. He does have five strikeouts against just one walk allowed in that time but he has surrendered a .455 batting average to this point in Grapefruit League action. It's an ominous start to the spring considering Lange was all over the map a season ago, struggling with free passes by way of a 15.6% BB%. He finished the season with a solid 3.68 ERA with 26 saves and a healthy 27.4% K%, and his 50.6% ground-ball rate helped limit home runs. However, with the Tigers looking to compete in the 2024 season and the additions of Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller to their bullpen, along with internal closing candidates, Lange will be on a short leash despite likely beginning the season as the club's closer.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com