Detroit Tigers' Wenceel Pérez is lock for Opening Day, likely as No. 1 center fielder

If you're using a pencil to write Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Pérez on the Opening Day roster, it's time to switch to a pen.

He is a lock.

The Tigers will be without two outfielders to start the 2025 season, as Matt Vierling (right shoulder strain) and Parker Meadows (right upper arm nerve issue) have both been ruled out. Their absences leave Pérez as the next-best healthy full-time outfielder after All-Star left fielder Riley Greene, assuming Kerry Carpenter spends most of his games at designated hitter.

"It can be good for me, a good opportunity," said Pérez, who seemed destined for Triple-A Toledo before the injuries, this week. "I've been working in center field, taking a lot of reps. I feel confident there. I told Parker I will take care of center field until he comes back."

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows talks to outfielder Wenceel Pérez during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

A spot on the Opening Day roster opened for Pérez when the Tigers realized Vierling would start the season on the injured list. When the Tigers came to the same realization about Meadows, Pérez then became the primary center fielder.

The Tigers don't want to play Greene in center field.

As of now, Pérez is increasingly likely to start in center field as the leadoff hitter — replacing Meadows — when the regular season gets underway. The 25-year-old missed 11 spring training games with lower back tightness, but made his return as the center fielder and leadoff hitter in Saturday's game after receiving a cortisone injection to address lingering discomfort.

Pérez already talked to Meadows about center field.

"I know I won't do it like you out there, because you're the best out there," Pérez said March 2, recounting his conversation with Meadows. "I'm not like you, but I will do my best to play center field until you come back."

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Pérez played 112 games for the Tigers in the 2024 season after making his MLB debut in early April. He hit .242 with nine home runs, 32 walks and 92 strikeouts, though he hit just .223 in his final 83 games and .184 in his final 30 games.

As a switch-hitter, Pérez batted .251 with a .709 OPS against right-handed pitchers (as a left-handed hitter) and .209 with a .594 OPS against left-handed pitchers (as a right-handed hitter).

"Last year doesn't happen without his contributions," manager A.J. Hinch said Feb. 26, tipping his cap to Pérez for helping the Tigers advance to the postseason. "A lot of that was at a new position at the highest level that he'd never played at. That's pretty impressive."

In last year's spring training, Pérez made the full-time switch from infield to outfield. He came up through the minor leagues as a second baseman, but throwing inaccuracies as an infielder forced the Tigers to move him to the outfield.

He hasn't played infield since then.

In 2024, Pérez impressed throughout his first season as an outfielder. He spent 647 innings in right field, 179⅓ innings in center field and 20 innings in left field. He was worth plus-1 defensive runs saved in right field, minus-4 in center field and plus-1 in left field.

"I'm pretty good at learning stuff quickly," Pérez said.

Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard talks to outfielder Wenceel Pérez during spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.

The next step in Pérez's development as an outfielder is communication. He was responsible for a couple of minor collisions — and a handful of near collisions — while roaming center field and right field last season.

This spring, Pérez has focused on using hand signals on every play.

"That's the only thing I'm working on, just my communication," Pérez said. "It's not with my voice. When you're in the big leagues, it's too loud. We have to communication with our hands. That's what I'm trying to work on."

The center fielder is the captain of the outfield defense.

Not only is Pérez a lock to make the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, but he's also lined up to be the Tigers' primary center fielder with Meadows ruled out for the start of the season.

Eventually, Pérez will settle in as a corner outfielder and could even get infield reps to expand his defensive versatility. But with no timetable for Meadows and Vierling to return from their injuries, he is the top internal candidate to play center field.

"This is my third spring training," Pérez said, referencing his third year in MLB camp. "For me, I'm fighting for a spot. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself. I'm trying to be me, do the best I can and get ready for the season."

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.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Wenceel Pérez is lock for 2025 Opening Day roster

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