Curtis Granderson talks home runs and playoff focus for Tigers
Former Tigers OF Curtis Granderson breaks down one of his most memorable hits, shares optimal mentality to have in playoffs on “Days of Roar” podcast.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers expected Wenceel Pérez to be their primary center fielder, relying on him for stability while waiting for fellow outfielders Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling to return from their injuries.
That was the plan — until the final game of the Grapefruit League schedule in spring training, when Pérez reported a back injury. As his teammates boarded a plane, he had to stay behind at the Tigers’ facility in Lakeland, Florida.
“It was tough because I was trying to get through it,” said Pérez, who has dealt with the same lower back injury multiple in his professional career, beginning in 2022. “It was just getting worse and worse and worse.”
This time, Pérez was sidelined for 65 days.
He returned Tuesday, May 27.
“I’m so excited to play this game again,” Pérez said.
In his return game, Pérez — starting in center field and batting sixth — hit a solo home run off All-Star right-hander Logan Webb in the second inning of Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park.
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More notably, Pérez hit the homer on his first swing of the 2025 season.
Webb threw him three sinkers in a row. The first two were inside for balls, but the third one stayed in the strike zone, allowing Pérez — a switch-hitter batting from the left side — to turn on it for a solo home run to right field. It was just the fourth homer allowed by Webb this season, spanning 73⅓ innings in 12 starts.
“I was just thinking to be patient,” Pérez said. “I was trying to come down a little bit. I was a little bit excited. And then I tried to get a good pitch, and that’s what I got. It feels great to be back and help the team out right away.”
To get to that moment, Pérez had to play six games during a rehab assignment: two games for High-A West Michigan, two games for Low-A Lakeland and two games in Triple-A Toledo.
He started in West Michigan because the Tigers had the maximum number of players rehabbing in Toledo, transferred to Lakeland due to weather issues in Toledo and completed his rehab with a normal stint in Toledo.
“That was not a vacation,” Pérez said.
Pérez, 25, is hitting .308 (4-for-13) in four games since his return to the Tigers.
His switch-hit ability — the Tigers’ lone switch-hitter — provides flexibility in the batting order, as well as allowing rest days for left-handed hitters Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry. He performs significantly better as a left-handed hitter against right-handed pitchers, but still provides competitive plate appearances from the right side.
Pérez took over as the Tigers’ primary center fielder upon his return, but only until Meadows returns from the injured list, which seems likely to happen Monday, June 2.
“So proud for the kid,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He put in a ton of work. Injuries are hard on everybody, but think about the last game of spring training, and we’re getting on the plane to go to the exhibition game, and he’s got to report that he’s not feeling great. That’s a crushing blow anytime during the spring, but that’s like the most exciting day of the year at that point.”
Two months later, Pérez rejoined the Tigers with the same joy he has always had. He laughed with teammates in the clubhouse, smiled in pregame warmups, bounced around in the outfield and showed no fear in the batter’s box.
Pérez also made an immediate impact with his first swing.
“The team is doing great,” Pérez said. “It wasn’t good for me (to be on the injured list), but it made me stronger to come back again and play good again.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
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Detroit Lions podcast includes Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
Nolan and Richard are joined by Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
By this point in the offseason, it’s well documented who the Detroit Lions have added, as well as who they’ve lost.
Former Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays was the prize of free agency. He’ll replace Graham Glasgow in the middle of Detroit’s offensive line. Clemson’s Blake Miller, selected 17th overall in April’s draft, is poised to quickly take over at the tackle spot opposite Penei Sewell, stepping in for Taylor Decker. The pass rush was overhauled across from Aidan Hutchinson, with Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy being the only other edge defenders still on the roster from last season.
Today, we’ll try to take our analysis a step further, identifying a few patterns within Detroit’s offseason approach and exploring what those acquisitions, retentions and departures mean for a Lions team looking to bounce back and reemerge as a title contender in 2026.
Detroit’s offense had its own share of issues throughout 2025. But what the defense produced down the stretch with the season on the line failed to meet reasonable expectations. Opponents averaged 28.1 points and 382.1 yards per game from Weeks 12-18, a stretch that resulted in four losses. Pinning all of Detroit’s defensive woes on one factor would be foolish (and you can’t ignore the role injuries played), but an inconsistent, at best, pass rush certainly didn’t help. The Lions owned the third-slowest time to pressure (2.86 seconds) in the NFL last season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Aside from the retooling opposite Hutchinson, the Lions also seemingly put an emphasis on acquiring interior defensive linemen who can get after the passer. Levi Onwuzurike is back after his contract tolled last season — Josh Paschal, a run-defending lineman who also had his contract tolled but was released in March, wasn’t afforded the same opportunity — and the Lions spent a couple of late-round draft picks on Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howard and Tennessee’s Tyre West. Both players were drafted because of the flashes they’ve shown as pass rushers, particularly Gill-Howard, whose win rate in 2025 (14.4%) ranked 10th out of the 512 FBS interior defenders who rushed the passer on at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Copying the Super Bowl champions isn’t always wise — every team’s personnel has its own set of skills — but it’s striking how much Detroit’s defense differed from that of the Seattle Seahawks, who rode their defense on the way to winning the franchise’s second title. The Lions led the league in use of base defense (three linebackers) last season, deploying those packages for 657 plays, according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks were last, with 66 plays. It was the opposite for use of nickel defense (five defensive backs), with the Seahawks leading the league (815) and the Lions at 32nd (355). Of course, Seattle is unique, given head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive system and nickelback Nick Emmanwori’s immediate impact as a rookie.
The Lions won’t overhaul their entire scheme in one offseason, but it’s difficult to see their moves in totality and not come away thinking they could lean more on nickel packages in 2026. Alex Anzalone, one of the league’s better linebackers against the pass, allowed the Lions to play base defense as much as they did, as he was comfortable in coverage. He’s now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions added a number of viable options to play nickelback next season, including veterans Christian Izien Jr. and Roger McCreary, as well as fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II (Arizona State).
Assuming the starting five, from left to right, winds up being Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Mays, Tate Ratledge and Miller, Detroit’s offensive line will have an average age of 25.2 next season. That’s down from 2025 (27.8) and 2024 (29.8). In no way does the influx of youth indicate surefire success, but the Lions would certainly be set up for sustained success if each of the five projected starters reach their ceilings. The offensive line could be even younger if 2025 fifth-rounder Miles Frazier, who is 11 months younger than Mahogany, wins the starting job at left guard. Juice Scruggs, another contender at left guard, is nine months older than Mahogany. Ben Bartch, 27, is the veteran option.
Whether Mays continues ascending at center will be key to Detroit’s success in 2026. He’s only started 20 games at the position over his four seasons in the NFL, and all of those starts have come within the last two years. He showed week-to-week growth in his 12 starts in 2025, enough for the Lions to commit $25 million ($14 million guaranteed) to him over the next three years. Mays surrendered 13 pressures last season and didn’t allow sack, according to PFF.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
How the PWHL unveiled Detroit’s team amid much fanfare
Chris Ilitch, Mary Sheffield, Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer talk about the PWHL Detroit team on May 6, 2026.
Josh Sciba comes to the Detroit Professional Women’s Hockey League team with a tremendous recent accolade.
Named to coach the ninth franchise in the PWHL’s history on Thursday, May 28, Sciba joins the team fresh off having served as an assistant coach with the women’s team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Olympics.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning,” Sciba said in a statement. “This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment.”
The Detroit PWHL team has taken shape over the past month: From being introduced on May 6 in a gala event at Little Caesars Arena (where the team will play starting late November/early December 2026) to naming Manon Rheaume general manager on May 15.
“Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader,” Rhéaume said in a release “Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”
Next on the agenda is shaping the roster itself, which will happen at the June 17 expansion draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Sciba, 41 and a native of Westland, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the PWHL’s New York Sirens and brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to the role.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
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