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After spring training debacle, Tigers rookie Max Clark enjoys cleaner MLB debut originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Detroit Tigers rookie Max Clark wanted a clean appearance.
In the starting lineup for his MLB debut Friday night against the host Athletics, the 2023 No. 3 overall draft pick did not want to repeat his Grapefruit League performance from Feb. 24.
Facing the Atlanta Braves during the Tigers' third exhibition game, Clark misplayed two routine fly balls at CoolToday Park, creating a poor look.
"It was 100 percent the sun," he said, as reported by MLB.com.
The botched defensive plays magnified his 0-for-13 start offensively. Clark was cut after eight spring training games. He was not major-league ready.
And it took him most of the summer to earn back the Tigers' trust.
The 2023 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year appeared in 90 games for Triple-A Toledo, posting a .276 batting average with 11 home runs, 42 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
In July, he collected eight multi-hit games and slashed .338/.466/.620 with five homers during the month.
"We’ve been watching his development all season, step by step, and he’s really earned it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters before Friday's game. "There’s not much more he needed to do there to show his readiness. Now we’re going to give him the next challenge, which is up here in the big leagues."
Tigers' Max Clark earns MLB firsts Friday
The Tigers needed center field help.
Among the players who have spent the most time there this season, Parker Meadows and Javier Baez both suffered injuries in April. Wencell Perez was mostly ineffective offensively before sustaining an injury, and Matt Vierling struggled at the plate before suffering a groin injury last Wednesday.
Enter Clark, who arrived just before starting pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, among other veterans, are projected to be traded before Monday's trade deadline.
If he wanted a cleaner start with the Tigers, it didn't happen.
On Jonah Heim's first-inning double, left fielder Riley Greene attempted a diving catch, but it caromed off his glove. Reacting late, Clark misplayed the loose ball, allowing Jacob Wilson to open the scoring.
Clark cleaned things up after the early mishap.
MORE: Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle's starstruck, matches Ty Cobb's franchise hits mark
The 21-year-old left-handed hitter, the fourth-youngest player to debut this season, displayed a mature approach at the plate, earning a walk in his first plate appearance.
Including his second at-bat, Clark did not swing at the first eight offerings. After fouling off a 2-1 pitch, he singled in the fourth inning, reaching out for a blooper to left off a low, outside pitch by left-hander Jeffrey Springs.
Playing in front of his wife, parents and about 25 friends and family members from Franklin, Ind., Clark produced an RBI double in the eighth inning. He later scored, fueling the Tigers' 13-1 win.
Clark, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored Friday, enjoyed a mostly clean debut.
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