Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers promote catcher Dillon Dingler for MLB debut after Carson Kelly trade

Published

1 year ago

July 29, 2024

Press Room

Detroit Tigers promote catcher Dillon Dingler for MLB debut after Carson Kelly trade

There’s a new catcher in town.

The Detroit Tigers are calling up catcher Dillon Dingler from Triple-A Toledo for his MLB debut, according to multiple sources not authorized to discuss roster moves publicly.

Dingler, already a member of the 40-man roster, will be activated for Monday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. Trading catcher Carson Kelly, an impending free agent, to the Texas Rangers for a pair of minor leaguers opened the door for Dingler’s promotion to the Tigers.

The catching tandem is now Dingler and Jake Rogers.

THE OFFSEASON: Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler’s glove is MLB-ready. His bat, however, needs work

Dingler, the No. 38 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Ohio State, is the third Tigers pick from his draft class to be called up, following first-rounder Spencer Torkelson and fifth-rounder Colt Keith.

Dingler, who turns 26 in mid-September, hit .308 with 17 home runs, 30 walks and 61 strikeouts across 71 games this season with Triple-A Toledo, posting a .938 OPS.

Dingler was on a heater for the Mud Hens in his last 22 games before the Tigers called him to Detroit, hitting .368 with nine homers and a 1.181 OPS. That included a .396 run with seven homers and a 1.360 OPS in his final 13 games.

THE TRADE: Tigers trade C Carson Kelly to Rangers, opening spot for Dillon Dingler

The breakthrough on offense stands out, but Dingler is considered a defense-first catcher because of his game-calling expertise. For years, pitchers have raved about their trust in throwing to Dingler, including top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe. He also features one of the best arms among all catchers in the minor leagues, which helps him control the running game.

Dingler has developed as a hitter in 2024.

He is making better swing decisions and making more contact while continuing to hit the ball hard.

Here are the Triple-A numbers: Dingler hit .261 (with a .237 expected batting average) and a 29.8% whiff rate in 26 games in 2023, but in 2024, he hit .308 (with a .301 expected batting average) and a 25.3% whiff rate in 71 games. His whiff rate against sliders improved from 47.1% in 2023 to 28.3% in 2024.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Dingler, though, could be tested by high-velocity fastballs. He hit just .154 without any power against fastballs at the Triple-A level that registered at least 95 mph on the radar gun.

The bat is bound to go through ups and downs in the big leagues, but the Tigers expect Dingler to be solid behind the plate regardless of what happens with his bat.

Anthony Bemboom, a 34-year-old journeyman, will remain in Triple-A Toledo, providing depth at the catcher position in case of an injury to Rogers or Dingler in the final two months. Bemboom has played 82 MLB games in parts of five seasons.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

Source link

Click to comment

Detroit, MI

Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks

Published

6 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Canucks Continue Road Trip with a Stop in Detroit on Thursday Night | Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are set for game two of their season-long six-game road trip. They will face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night for the second and final time this season.

Brock Boeser picked up a pair of assists in Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, while the Canucks’ three goals came from Liam Öhgren, Jake DeBrusk, and Elias Pettersson.

Filip Hronek also had an assist in the game and played a team-high 26:20 of ice time. The 28-year-old, who will represent his home country of Czechia at this year’s Olympics, has been strong at both ends of the ice this season and holds a 59.7% control of the goal share at five-on-five this season. He has been on the ice for 34 goals scored and 23 goals against.

DeBrusk had a hat trick and four points in the game the last time these two teams met in Detroit.

Pettersson has five goals and 18 points in his 12 games against the Red Wings. He has four three-point games against them in his career and has three goals and 10 points in his six games in Detroit.

Quick Hits on the Competition

The Red Wings come into Thursday’s game with an 8-3-1 record in their last 12 games.

They picked up a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators in their most recent outing.

Detroit is sitting pretty with a 25-15-4 record, and are second in the Atlantic Division.

On home ice, they posted a 14-8-1 record this season and have an 8-0-1 record in one-goal games on home ice.

Lucas Raymond (45 points) and Alex DeBrincat (43 points) lead the offence. DeBrincat is tied with Dylan Larkin for the team lead with 22 goals this season.

DeBrincat has scored 10 power play goals this season, and the Red Wings’ power play is tied for sixth in the league with its 24.6% conversion rate.

Moritz Seider leads the way on the backend. He is averaging 25:12 of ice time per game and has 31 points in 44 games.

John Gibson has made 25 starts this season, while Cam Talbot has 19 of his own. Gibson has a 14-9-1 record while Talbot is 11-6-3.

The Story: Power Plays

Rookie defenceman Tom Willander has been getting a run on the first power play unit over the past few games. The Canucks’ 2023 first-round pick is up to two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 32 games this season.

The Canucks have picked up four power play goals in their last three games.

Jake DeBrusk leads the team with 10, and Kiefer Sherwood sits second on the squad with six.

The team ranks 13th on the power play this season. They have scored on 20.4% of their opportunities with the man advantage.

Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games

Elias Pettersson: 3g-1a-4p
Jake DeBrusk: 2g-2a-4p
Linus Karlsson: 2g-2a-4p
Filip Hronek: 1g-3a-4p
Tom Willander: 1g-2a-3p

When and Where to Watch

Thursday’s game is at 4:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.

Source link

Detroit, MI

Murder charge filed in aftermath of altercation outside Detroit bar

Published

18 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Murder charge filed in aftermath of altercation outside Detroit bar

January 7, 2026 / 8:45 AM EST
/ CBS Detroit

Murder and two related charges have been filed against a Detroit man in the aftermath of an altercation that left one man dead and his brother seriously injured.

Michael Alan Harris, 42, of Detroit was arraigned Tuesday in 36th District Court of Detroit on charges of first-degree murder, felony firearm and resisting and obstructing a police officer, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

The charges are related to the fatal shooting of Jalen Coats Stevens, 28, of Detroit, Worthy said. Stevens was pronounced dead at the scene of an altercation early Sunday in the 15900 block of Grand River Avenue.

During the altercation, Stevens’ brother, Glenn, was stabbed over a dozen times but survived. He has been in the hospital since. Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil hosted by the Stevens family Tuesday night outside of Chita’s Nefertiti bar. The brothers were celebrating a work promotion for Jalen Saturday night before the altercation erupted.

While it was known by Tuesday night that one person was in custody, the family asked the public and police to continue working on the investigation, as the person who had stabbed Glenn had not been located.

In the meantime, Harris is scheduled for a probable cause conference Jan. 14, and a preliminary exam is set for Jan. 21.

The above video originally aired Jan. 6.

Heath Kalb

contributed to this report.

Source link

Detroit, MI

The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged

Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.

While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.

“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”

As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.

Source link