Notes: Norris nears return; Flores vs. Flores

DETROIT -- Daniel Norris appears poised to rejoin the Tigers from COVID-19 protocol before their Summer Camp wraps up next week.

“He's getting closer now,” manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB Network Radio’s Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on Thursday morning. “He went through some things, and we're not allowed to talk about a lot of stuff. But we expect to see him in camp probably sometime this next week early, maybe over the weekend even, and get him in here and get him through the test protocols and all the stuff.”

That lines up with the optimism of Norris, who told MLB.com on Wednesday that he was waiting on tests.

Norris has not been a part of Summer Camp. The left-hander was placed on the 10-day injured list last week for undisclosed reasons, and he confirmed to reporters that he was in COVID-19 protocol after a positive test. Norris said he has been staying in shape in anticipation of returning to go, and he hopes to be ready to go upon his return.

“The one thing we know is he's been working,” Gardenhire told MLB Network Radio. “He's nonstop no matter what's going on in his life. He stays in great shape. He's already made comments to my pitching coach [Rick Anderson]. [He] said, ‘I'm ready to go six [innings the] first day I get in here.’ So there you have it. And I probably believe him.”

Whether that would be enough time for Norris to be ready for the Opening Day roster, let alone join the rotation at the start of the season, depends on how much he can throw. Gardenhire did say that Norris could play a big role. It’s conceivable that he could be a piggyback starter with Michael Fulmer in the latter's return from Tommy John surgery, reprising the tandem work Norris and Drew VerHagen pitched over the final two months of last season,

Sound and fury signifying ...
The roar echoed through Comerica Park as Riley Greene’s opposite-field loft landed in the left-field bullpen. It was just the reaction Greene would’ve imagined for his first home run in Detroit. But this was an intrasquad game, and the seats were empty.

There will likely be a soundtrack for the start of the 2020 season. Major League Baseball sent clubs a selection of prerecorded crowd noises that can be played over the public address system via a touchpad device. The sounds come from the MLB The Show video game, and they utilize recorded crowd reactions from Major League ballparks.

“We were having fun with that today,” third baseman Jeimer Candelario said. “We’ll take it.”

The recordings range from varying levels of cheers for good plays to a hum that serves as a baseline level of sound for regular play. The Comerica Park multimedia crew spent Wednesday trying to find a sweet spot for noise level. Initial attempts sounded loud and a bit tinny, but the crew eventually found a level that settled into the background, almost like the rumble of highway traffic minus the honking.

“I only noticed it when we were warming up,” starter Matthew Boyd said. “I guess a few times between pitches, it was different having a buzz in the park as compared to silence. I don’t mind it; it’s a lot different than taking a ball downcourt in the NBA when you hear an instrumental playing.”

Wilmer Flores discusses Wilmer Flores
Turns out Tigers non-drafted free-agent signee Wilmer Flores doesn’t just share a name with his older brother, the San Francisco Giants infielder.

“You'll recognize him. He looks just like me,” the older Flores told Giants reporters, including MLB.com’s Maria Guardado, on a Zoom call Wednesday.

The younger Flores is a little bigger, his brother explained -- 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, by his estimation. As far as a scouting report, the older Flores didn’t have much, since the schedule didn’t allow him to watch his brother pitch until this spring.

"I really have no idea,” the infielder admitted. “I know he throws hard, though. I saw him pitch only this year. He's still working on his breaking ball, but he's going to throw hard."

Once their seasons shut down, the two worked out together at the older Flores' home in Miami.

Not only are they both named Wilmer, but so is another brother and their father. So they don’t go by Wilmer at home.

"We have nicknames,” he said. “Obviously, mine is Catire. His nickname is kinda weird. His nickname is Chiquito, like little."

Clearly the latter nickname is not for his size, but for his age.

“He's so glad he's getting this opportunity,” the infielder explained. “Hopefully next year he gets to start playing."

Quick hit
• Shortstop prospect Sergio Alcántara joined Tigers camp on Thursday after being cleared to join the 60-man player pool, according to the team. Alcantara was on the player pool but was placed on the 10-day injured list last Thursday for undisclosed reasons.