Detroit, MI

Mark Canha starts at first base. Here’s how often Detroit Tigers plan to put him there.

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2024

Press Room

Mark Canha starts at first base. Here’s how often Detroit Tigers plan to put him there.

MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time, Mark Canha started at first base for the Detroit Tigers.

He isn’t a first baseman, but has experience there throughout his career. The 35-year-old, primarily a corner outfielder and designated hitter, already spent two innings at first base — one inning April 9 and one inning April 15 — this season, both times as a defensive switch after starting in the outfield.

Canha started his first game at first base in Sunday’s series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Manager A.J. Hinch plans to start Canha at first base approximately once every two weeks.

“He’s done it,” Hinch said. “He doesn’t do it often, but he puts in a lot of work to play the position. He’ll only be a fill-in from time to time, but it’s good to get Tork a day to just DH and keep Mark fresh at first base. It’s a little bit different on the body for him, as well. It’s not a DH day, but it’s certainly less running than in the outfield. It’s something we were looking forward to at some point.”

KENTA EXPLAINS: Tigers’ Kenta Maeda pinpoints pitching mechanics as reason for bad start to 2024

Don’t expect Canha to become the new regular first baseman.

That job still belongs to Spencer Torkelson.

Torkelson, who made a costly fielding error in Saturday’s 4-3 loss, served as the designated hitter in Sunday’s series finale. As for the outfield in Sunday’s game, the Tigers put Riley Greene in left field, Kerry Carpenter in right field and Parker Meadows in center field.

“We need Mark to play,” Hinch said, “and I wanted to keep the outfield intact, too. It’s hard to get the outfield configuration that we want. Going into the turf in Tampa (at Tropicana Field), I think everybody’s going to DH that’s out there, except for Parker. I’m looking at the next four days.”

KERRY BONDS: Kerry Carpenter: The one Tiger locked in and raking all season

Canha, a 10-year MLB veteran, entered Sunday’s game with 139 games — but just 96 starts and 69 complete games — at first base, covering 871⅔ innings. He is worth minus-5 defensive runs saved at first base throughout his career.

His best position is right field.

Colt Keith on the bench

Second baseman Colt Keith is hitting .183 with six walks and 14 strikeouts across 77 plate appearances in 20 games. He has 13 hits, but just one of those hits — an April 4 double — is an extra-base hit. The 22-year-old has two hits in his last 25 at-bats, spanning seven games.

He didn’t start in Sunday against the Twins.

Hinch started Buddy Kennedy at second base. The Tigers called up Kennedy from Triple-A Toledo before Saturday’s game to take the place of injured third baseman Gio Urshela, who is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a right hamstring strain.

THE OTHER ROOKIE: Tigers switch-hitter Wenceel Pérez fulfills childhood dream by making MLB debut

“He’s scuffling,” Hinch said of Keith. “I want to get Buddy up and running to feel like he’s on this team. Combine that with trying to give Colt a day to decompress. It’s tough in the big leagues, especially when you’re going through it. He’s more than equipped to come out of it. Those two things kind of paired together.”

[ 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. ]

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

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater To Backup Jared Goff in 2026

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Lions Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater To Backup Jared Goff in 2026

The free agency tampering period has begun for the NFL, and the Detroit Lions are among the active teams acquiring players as they try to get back to the playoffs after they did not meet their own standard for last season.

On Monday, it was revealed that 2025 Lions backup quarterback Kyle Allen was heading to Buffalo, leaving another hole in the roster to fill. Nearly 24 hours later, that hole has been filled, as veteran quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater is heading back to Motown.

Bridgewater spent the 2023 season with Detroit, in what initially was going to be his final season in the league.

However, after coaching Miami Northwestern Senior High School to a state championship in Florida during the 2024 season, he announced he was planning to unretire, and Detroit picked him up for their push towards the top seed in the NFC.

Bridgewater then resigned as head coach at Miami Northwestern and signed with Tampa Bay to backup Baker Mayfield last season.

He appeared in four games last season, throwing 15 passes for the Buccaneers, which were his first NFL pass attempts since 2022.

Bridgewater is a safe option at backup quarterback in Detroit, as the former Rookie of the Year has had a steady career since entering the league with Minnesota out of Louisville in 2014.

Bridgewater returns to back up Jared Goff under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, as this is a situation where Detroit stuck with a player they knew. For Petzing, this is not the first time coaching Teddy Bridgewater, as he was an offensive assistant with Minnesota when they drafted Bridgewater in 2014.

A leg injury derailed his career after a Pro Bowl season in 2015, but he has started 37 games since the injury as a journeyman. Bridgewater left Minnesota and Drew Petzing and would overlap with Dan Campbell when the quarterback played for New Orleans in 2018 and 2019. In addition to Minnesota, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Detroit, Bridgewater has also played for Carolina, Denver, and Miami.

Detroit stuck with a safe and familiar option in Bridgewater, as a majority of their offense, alongside most of their offensive staff, have worked with the quarterback before. If Bridgewater is turned to in any situation, there will be full confidence in the Louisville product to make the right play.

NFL Draft Implications

This puts Detroit in a unique position when looking ahead towards the NFL Draft, as a popular mock draft pick for Detroit was taking a quarterback, with Cole Payton, Luke Altmyer, and Taylen Green all being among the names mentioned.

Bridgewater is an excellent mentor alongside Goff, but having three quarterbacks on the Lions roster after injury-riddled campaigns in the last two seasons may not be the wisest allocation of a roster spot.

For the time being, Detroit has their backup quarterback for the season, and there is not a better option than Bridgewater when it comes to familiarity and adaptability. While the former Pro Bowl quarterback has yet to throw a pass in Detroit, he has the familiairity and trust of the coaching staff to be a backup entering a pivotal year.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit ‘Sloppy Chops’ restaurateur\u00a0killed: What to know

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

$Detroit ‘Sloppy Chops’ restaurateur\u00a0killed: What to know$

Mourning continued and no suspects were in custody a week after the fatal shooting of Detroit restaurateur and nightlife figure Mikey “Mike B” Brown at the end of February.

Brown was the beloved figure behind the “Sloppy” brand of restaurants, and remembrances have been rolling in online since his death.

Here’s what to know:

Shooting outside cocktail bar

“Mike B” Brown, 51, and two others were shot about 4:30 a.m. Feb. 28 in the area of 15789 Schaefer, police previously said.

The two others were found in front of the location, and Brown was found across the street, police said.

Police have asked those with information on the shooting to come forward.

There were no suspects in custody and no further updates in the case as of Monday, March 9, according to a statement from the Detroit Police Department.

Updates on the conditions of the two other individuals shot were also not provided.

Who was Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?

Brown was a husband, a father of five and a restaurateur.

He opened Sloppy Chops Restaurant, a steakhouse, in 2020 on West McNichols off the Lodge Freeway and later opened a seafood restaurant called Sloppy Crab, which was renamed the Crab Sports Bar, on East Jefferson Avenue near the Renaissance Center. Brown previously had two clubs, as well.

His downtown dining spot served as an answer to questions on offerings for Black diners in the city’s renaissance. His other “Sloppy” location showcased successful reach beyond downtown and into the city’s neighborhoods. Brown was also a cultural figure in not only the world of dining, but in the nightlife, the Free Press reported.

When are funeral services for Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?

A family hour was set for 9 a.m. March 13 and a funeral was set for 10 a.m. March 13, both at Triumph Church –North Campus at 15600 J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield.

What’s been the fallout since Mike ‘Mike B’ Brown’s death?

Outside of the community hurt, there’s also been calls for a crackdown on establishments that stay open into early morning hours in residential areas, ClickOnDetroit reports.

How to report tips on Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown’s shooting

Those with information tied to the triple shooting can contact the Detroit Police Department’s homicide unit at 313-596-2260 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up or DetroitRewards.tv.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions need backup QB as Kyle Allen to sign with Bills

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Lions need backup QB as Kyle Allen to sign with Bills

The Detroit Lions will need to find a new backup quarterback. Kyle Allen, the 30-year-old ninth-year veteran, will reportedly sign with the Buffalo Bills for two years and $4.1 millions, according to ESPN, reuniting him with his former coordinator Joe Brady.

Allen, who came to the Motor City a year ago after inking a one-year deal, appeared in just three games and attempted two passes this past season as starter Jared Goff logged 98.5% of the team’s offensive snaps at quarterback.

Allen’s greatest contribution came in the preseason, when he forced the organization to give up on its experiment with Hendon Hooker.

In the competition for the No. 2 job, Allen outperformed Hooker and made the former 2023 third-round pick expendable by bringing his stunted development into sharp relief. While Hooker struggled to move the offense when he was in command, Allen thrived in his four auditions, spearheading one productive drive after another for the Lions. He completed 79.5% of his attempts, throwing for 401 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. All the while, he exhibited a good understanding of the Lions’ timing-based passing game, giving management the confidence he could – if needed – relieve Goff in a pinch.

“I feel very comfortable with him,” Campbell said last August.

But as it turned out, the Lions were never forced to call upon Allen. Goff, who hasn’t missed a start since Week 17 of the 2021 season, remained reliably present.

The Lions hope Goff’s iron-man streak will continue.

But if it for some reason ends, Allen is no longer there to replace him.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.

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