Lakeland, Fla. — Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire had no idea what to expect with Taiwanese right-hander Shao-Ching Chiang.
Why would he? He hadn’t seen the non-roster invitee throw a pitch all spring.
Slowed early with a back injury, Chiang made his spring debut Thursday against the Yankees. It was, to say the least, eye-opening.
“He threw the crap out of the ball,” Gardenhire said.
Chiang, 26, spent the last eight years in the Cleveland Indians system, starting at Triple-A Columbus the last two years.