Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Andy Dirks seemed to have the left field spot locked up coming into the season for the Detroit Tigers, but some things have changed since Opening Day. He’s failed to hit, and Matt Tuiasosopo has taken advantage of that while a nagging knee injury to Dirks has sidelined him for a couple games.
Tuiasosopo was a relative unknown before late in the spring when it appeared that he might have a chance to win a spot on the big league roster. Since then all he’s done is hit. In 15 games this year he’s hit .320 with six RBI and one home run. No one expected him to make the roster for Opening Day, but he might just have a shot at becoming a regular in the Tigers’ lineup as the season moves forward.
Dirks on the other hand was only hitting .167 with four RBI before he was forced to sit out a couple days due to that knee injury that’s been bothering him. Last year Dirks had an amazing year hitting over .300 and taking over the left field position that needed help. Manager Jim Leyland had his doubts about him being an everyday player, and it seems as if he was right.
I’m a huge Dirks fan, but even I have to admit he hasn’t been hitting. He’s looked pretty bad at the plate while Tuiasosopo has looked good so far. It might be the time to sit Dirks down for a little while and see how long they can ride out this streak that Tuiasosopo is having.
The Tigers don’t really need anything outstanding offensively from the left field position since they have the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, but they do need a serviceable outfielder that can field the position. It also wouldn’t hurt if he could hit around .270 or .280 in the process, and maybe Tuiasosopo can do that.
Eric Carlisle is a Detroit Tigers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricCarlizle810, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
