LAKELAND, FL – Dillon Dingler has returned.
The 27-year-old hasn’t been cleared to serve as the catcher, but he joined the Detroit Tigers‘ lineup as the designated hitter for his first game of 2026 spring training against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Feb. 27, at Joker Marchant Stadium.
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He remains in the rehab stage of his recovery from arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in late January. He won’t miss any regular season games, with Opening Day set for March 26.
“It’s still up in the air a little bit,” Dingler said, when asked about the timeline for being fully cleared for all baseball activities. “But I think sometime in the next week and a half.”
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Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler watches batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.
Leading up to this point, Dingler participated in three days of live batting practice on the TigerTown backfields.
He will face Phillies right-hander Jean Cabrera in Friday’s game.
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“It’s progressing well,” Dingler said. “This is a good first step, so I look forward to getting out there.”
The next step is completing his throwing program.
“It’s mostly distances,” Dingler said.
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In 2025, Dingler hit .278 with 13 home runs, 23 walks and 110 strikeouts across 126 games. He won the American League Gold Glove Award at catcher for his performance behind the plate, becoming the fourth catcher in Tigers history to do so.
This story will be updated.
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dillon Dingler returns to Detroit Tigers’ lineup in spring training