Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch faced the press with a heavy heart after a 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Spring Training. The defeat stung, but Hinch’s words shifted the mood. “Spencer Torkelson was hurting,” he said quietly. “He had a serious ankle issue before the game and couldn’t go full strength.” Fans, once frustrated, now feel for their young star.

The game was rough. Torkelson, 25, started at first base but looked off—0-for-3, a dropped line drive, and a limp after chasing a foul ball. Detroit trailed early as Boston’s Rafael Devers doubled in two runs off Tarik Skubal. Torkelson’s error in the fifth let another score, sealing the 6-4 hole. Fans booed, thinking it was another flop after his .219 2024 season. Hinch benched him late, alongside Javier Báez and Riley Greene, but this time, it wasn’t just performance.

Hinch explained post-game. “Spencer twisted his ankle bad warming up,” he said. “He begged to play—didn’t want to let us down.” The injury, a flare-up from a 2023 tweak, swelled fast. Trainers pushed rest, but Torkelson suited up anyway, hiding the pain. “He gave what he could,” Hinch added. “It wasn’t enough today, and that’s on me too.” With Opening Day against the Dodgers on March 27, Hinch pulled him to heal.

Fans flipped on X. “Poor Tork—I yelled at my TV, now I feel awful,” one wrote. Another said, “Hinch should’ve sat him sooner—hero stuff, but dumb.” Torkelson’s spring had been solid—.297, four homers—making his grit tougher to watch. Detroit’s 9-11 camp record reflects growing pains after a 78-84 2024 and ALDS exit. Hinch, who’s rebuilt the Tigers since 2021’s 66-96, knows injuries sting—Matt Vierling and Parker Meadows are already out.

Torkelson spoke briefly. “I hate sitting,” he mumbled, ice on his ankle. “Wanted to fight through it.” His 31-homer 2023 showed promise, but last year’s demotions hit hard. This spring, he’s been key—now, fans see the heart behind the hustle. Hinch plans rest, eyeing Zach McKinstry at first for Friday’s Yankees game. “We need him long-term,” he said. “Not just one night.”

Sympathy’s spreading. “Get well, Tork—baseball can wait,” a fan tweeted. Detroit’s hungry for a breakout after last season’s near-miss—losing Torkelson, even briefly, hurts. Hinch’s candor turned anger to care, but pressure’s on. Eight days until the Dodgers—can Torkelson bounce back? For now, Tigers fans are rooting for their wounded star, not the scoreboard.