A matchup between two former Tigers is scheduled during MLB’s All-Star break.
Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler, who were once traded for one another as part of a deal between the Texas Rangers and Detroit, will be the Futures Game bench coaches.
At Globe Life Field in Arlington on July 13, the 25th edition of the event, which features some of baseball’s best prospects, will take place.
Fielder and skipper Adrian Beltré will be in the AL dugout with manager Michael Young, while Kinsler and manager Michael Young, both former Rangers, will be in the NL dugout.
Kinsler, a 4-time All-Star second baseman, began his career with the Rangers before he was traded to the Tigers for Fielder in November 2013. He made the All-Star game in his first season in Detroit.
“For me, the future of the game is so highlighted now, so it’s going to be a lot of fun to be a part of it,” Kinsler said on MLB Network. “I never got to be a part of the Futures Game as a player, so being able to see what it’s like and seeing these young players step into a big league locker room for the first time and play in a huge stadium and see their eyes kind of light up is going to be a lot of fun.”
Fielder, a fan favorite in the Motor City as the son of Tigers’ great Cecil Fielder, told MLB he couldn’t turn down the opportunity when asked by Beltre.
“Anytime he asks me to do something I usually do it,” Fielder said. “Just being around the younger guys is going to be a lot of fun.”
Fielder played just 42 games for the Rangers in 2014 before undergoing season-ending neck surgery
The slugger returned in 2015, earning an All-Star selection and winning AL Comeback Player of the Year honors, but he retired the following year due to another issue with his neck.
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