How Renato Nunez earned another chance with Detroit Tigers: 'Everything just clicked'

BALTIMORE — Renato Nunez deserved a return to the Detroit Tigers.

Injuries to outfielders Akil Baddoo (seven-day injured list, concussion) and Derek Hill (10-day injured list, ribcage contusion) provided the pathway back to a spot on the active roster, but the 27-year-old made his case with his numbers in Triple-A Toledo.

"Everything just clicked," Nunez said Wednesday. "I started hitting line drives everywhere."

Nunez hit .291 with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs over 74 games for the Mud Hens, so the Tigers added the slugging first baseman to the 40-man roster Wednesday.

"We like the power," manager AJ Hinch said Wednesday. "We've always been looking for ways to add him to the mix and haven't really had a chance to do that since the last time we sent him down. He's still relatively young, and bringing him back gives us a boost in the lineup with an added dimension of power."

SCHOOP STAYS: What extending Jonathan Schoop means for Tigers: 'One of the best days of my life'

DETROIT SPORTS: Three of Detroit's pro teams converged in Allen Park. A sign of a changing sports scene?

Although Nunez didn't make the Opening Day roster, the Tigers called him up April 11 to fill the first base/designated hitter void while Miguel Cabrera recovered from a left biceps strain. He only played seven games — hitting .148 (4-for-27) with two home runs, three RBIs, one walk and eight strikeouts — before getting designated for assignment.

After clearing waivers, he chose to stay in the Tigers' organization.

"It's been hard work," Nunez said. "It's been great. Being in Triple-A helped me a lot with my defense and my hitting approach. I decided to stay here because I like this team. I like the way they're doing things, and I think we're going to end up in a good place really soon. I really like it here, so that's why I stayed."

FROM APRIL: As Tigers 'need threats' on offense, slugger Renato Nunez could be solution

FROM MAY: Stuck in Triple-A Toledo, Renato Nunez anxious to help Tigers

Over the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Nunez hit .247 with 34 doubles, 43 home runs and 121 RBIs in 203 games. He has six years of MLB experience and signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers in February.

Nunez has been designated for assignment three times in his career — by the Texas Rangers (May 11, 2018), the Orioles (Nov. 20, 2020) and, most recently, the Tigers (April 21). The time is now for Nunez to prove he can stick around in Detroit, but he must show improved defense and plate discipline.

"That had to happen at that time," Nunez said. "What we can do is adjust to whatever comes and keep rolling. That's the game of baseball. That's why it's so beautiful. I love this game, and it doesn't matter where I'm playing, I'm going to enjoy it and play hard. I'm just glad to be on a baseball field, so I have no complaints. Never."

Infielders prepare in outfield

Before Wednesday's game, infielders Willi Castro and Zack Short — called up Wednesday with Nunez — took outfield reps with bench coach George Lombard. Neither have played outfield in their professional careers, but Short handled left field for one game in the 2015 Cape Cod League.

"We're scrambling to try to find innings," Hinch said. "We might have something else happen like that again tonight, and we got to have guys prepared. There's been conversation of Willi taking a few fly balls. You're going to see Zack Short out there today during batting practice. We've got to try anything and everything to man this down."

OPENING UP: An 'important player' for Tigers, Willi Castro stuck in dreaded sophomore slump

ROSTER MOVES: Akil Baddoo, Derek Hill to injured list; Zack Short, Renato Nunez promoted

Rehab assignment starts

Outfielder Daz Cameron started his rehab assignment Wednesday in Triple-A Toledo.

He went 1-for-5 with an RBI double and two strikeouts. Cameron, 24, has been on the injured list retroactive to July 5 with a right toe sprain. He hit .207 with three home runs during his 18-game stint with the Tigers before the injury.

"If Akil truly is only 7-10 days, we could get some outfield help quickly, so we don't necessarily need to look at the entirety of the season or anything long term," Hinch said. "But we might have an issue tonight, you never know. We're going to get guys as much work as we can in case they got to be used."

Keep watch

Right-hander Drew Hutchison started Wednesday for Triple-A Toledo but was removed after 1⅔ scoreless innings. He threw 28 pitches.

Hutchison, 30, is being considered to start Sunday's game against Cleveland at Comerica Park. Here's how the rotation should before then: Tarik Skubal (Wednesday), Matt Manning (Thursday), Tyler Alexander (Friday) and Wily Peralta (Saturday).

"We might do a bullpen day, we might consider somebody like him," Hinch said. "The only way to do that is to be proactive and limit his innings. It is possible, but not definitive answer on our plays. We're trying to work on this series first.

"Casey (Mize) is not going to start until Tuesday (after Monday's off day). That was pre-scheduled. We're not going to start guys on regular rest for the rest of the year if we can avoid it. Sunday consideration, Hutch being one of them, bullpen day being one of them. We'll see where Erasmo (Ramirez) or (Derek) Holland are in comparison to what we can bring up from the minors."

Hutchison owns a 3.63 ERA, 40 walks and 86 strikeouts across 84⅓ innings over 17 starts for the Mud Hens. He signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers on Feb. 28 during spring training.

Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Renato Nunez: 'Everything just clicked' in Toledo