Wenceel Pérez provides Detroit Tigers something they don't have without him
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.
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"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.
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Detroit Tigers' Wenceel Perez rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in his first at-bat of the season against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning at Comerica Park on May 27, 2025 in Detroit.
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.
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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.
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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."
HERE'S AN IDEA: Can Wenceel Pérez become super utility player? Here's what Tigers think
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.
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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.
Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on 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: Wenceel Pérez provides Detroit Tigers something they don't have
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