Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch thought about waiting until Sunday, May 25, to put catcher Jake Rogers in the starting lineup for the first time since his Tuesday, May 20, return from a six-week stay on the injured list.
It would’ve made sense to wait.
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After all, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal — who had Rogers as his catcher for all 31 starts in his 2024 Cy Young campaign — is starting Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. The Tigers are also facing left-hander Logan Allen: Rogers has a career .753 OPS vs. lefties, compared to .626 vs. righties.
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Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers high-fives Dillon Dingler after the end of the top of the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
Instead, Rogers started Saturday, May 24.
Here’s the surprise: Dingler will catch Skubal in Sunday’s series finale.
“Dillon is someone who’s earned a lot of playing time,” Hinch said, “so that can be a little bit tricky, just making sure both guys stay fresh, making sure we get the right matchup we want — and keep both guys involved.”
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Rogers was Skubal’s personal catcher all last season.
That’s not the case anymore.
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Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (34) looks on during an at bat in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
The game Sunday against the Guardians will mark the first time a healthy Rogers hasn’t caught Skubal since Sept. 3, 2023, when Carson Kelly was behind the plate.
“Everyone is going to catch everyone, pretty much,” Hinch said. “I’m confident in both guys catching each guy. I know it tends to be the question about Tarik and Jake. Tarik had a few good games with Dillon, too.”
More than just a few games.
With Dingler, Skubal owns a 1.87 ERA with two walks (1.2% walk rate) and 61 strikeouts (37.2% strikeout rate) across 43⅓ innings in seven starts — all while Rogers was on the injured list. The Tigers won six of those seven games.
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It’s a massive difference.
With Rogers this season, Skubal has a 5.51 ERA with five walks (7.1% walk rate) and 18 strikeouts (25.7% strikeout rate) across 16⅓ innings in three starts — the Tigers winning just one of three games.
“I like the interaction that I see with Dillon with all of our pitchers,” said Hinch, who played 350 MLB games as a catcher. “It reminds me of a young version of a catcher who’s trying to establish respect and full understanding of the arsenal.”
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Dingler — the No. 38 overall pick in the 2020 draft — is just 65 games into his MLB career, spanning parts of two seasons. The 26-year-old is performing like a top catcher in baseball in 2025, hitting .298 with a .776 OPS in 38 games and registering plus-2 defensive runs saved.
That’s not happenstance.
“And Dillon, he does a ton of work, but he doesn’t ever portray himself of having all the answers,” Hinch said “He takes feedback from pitchers, from Fett (pitching coach Chris Fetter), from me, from Sink (catching coach Ryan Sienko). Everybody seems to be in his ear, and he can absorb a lot of information.”
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers’ Dillon Dingler — not Jake Rogers — catching Tarik Skubal