Notes: Cron still raking, Zim sidelined

DETROIT -- C.J. Cron traumatized Tigers pitching for seven of his 25 home runs with the Twins last season. So far in this Summer Camp, the new Tigers first baseman is picking up where he left off.

“Really just putting good swings on the baseball, getting my timing down, trying to hit the ball with some aggression,” Cron said. “Whatever happens after that, happens.”

If not for Riley Greene’s highlight catch at the left-field fence on Monday, Cron would have a five-homer camp going. His four home runs have not been close. The most recent drive Friday night ended up on the left-field concourse under the scoreboard, a tape-measure drive off reliever John Schreiber.

It was Cron’s third home run in two nights. He hit three home runs in eight games at Comerica Park last season, and one in each of the previous two seasons as a non-division foe. That’s five homers in 13 games over the past three seasons. JaCoby Jones had the most home runs at Comerica Park last year with seven in 46 games, one more than Royals slugger Hunter Dozier hit in nine games here.

“I don’t think it’s the dimensions,” Cron joked. “This park’s pretty big. I guess it’s just one of those things. It’s impossible to say why you hit well at certain parks, why you don’t [at others]. I feel comfortable in the box here. I kind of remember that throughout my career. I’ve had some success in this ballpark, and I’m hoping once the season starts, once we get playing some home games, I’ll feel just as comfortable.”

While Comerica Park can be a challenge for many talented right-handed hitters, Cron has found his sweet spot in the ballpark from the Tigers' bullpen to the left-field foul pole. He has been a dead-pull hitter who feasts on inside pitches.

“The pitches I’ve gotten this spring, they’ve been all on the inner half,” Cron said. “It’s actually pretty good of me to even pull that pitch. It’s big out there in the gap, and it’s big to center, but I think if I get one, I can maybe get it out there also.”

After Cron hit his first home run of camp last week, he took extra batting practice to get his timing on breaking pitches. That seems to have paid off.

“It’s kind of just the ebbs and flows of a baseball season,” Cron shrugged. “You’re going to have streaks where you’re seeing the ball well and you try to make them continue as long as possible. It’s early in this camp. Things feel good, but we still have a week left, so I’ll definitely take my time and still get my at-bats and get ready for the season.”

Start the Paredes
One by one, the Tigers are starting to get their prospects back from the injured list. On Friday, it was top infield prospect Isaac Paredes who was cleared to join the player pool and participate in workouts.

Paredes had not been seen around Comerica Park since Summer Camp began two weeks ago. The Tigers placed him on the 10-day injured list last week without listing a reason. He had been a dark-horse candidate to join the competition at third base, his bat a potential boost for Detroit’s lineup, but he will likely join other prospects training at Triple-A Toledo to begin the season.

Gardenhire put Paredes in a similar status with infield prospect Sergio Alcántara, who joined the club Thursday after a similar absence.

“His arm’s not in the best shape, and he hasn’t been able to do much hitting,” Gardenhire said of Alcántara. “And Paredes is going to be in the same boat. We’re going to start them off slow and let them get into some sort of baseball shape.”

The 21-year-old Paredes hit .282 last year at Double-A Erie, third best in the Eastern League, and added 13 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .784 OPS. He drew almost as many walks (57) as strikeouts (61).

Quick hits
• Spencer Torkelson earned his first start of Summer Camp on Friday. He worked a full count against Alexander in his first at-bat before lining an RBI single into left field.

• Center fielder Derek Hill has a bruise beneath his left kneecap, Gardenhire said. He’ll be fine, but Gardenhire said he won’t be rushed back.

• Travis Demeritte remains sidelined with groin and quad issues. “He told me he was 80 percent,” Gardenhire said. “I’d like to get a little higher than that. I told him, 'I’m 50 percent every day, so I’m not that far from you.'”