Detroit Tigers name former Astros manager AJ Hinch manager following MLB suspension

DETROIT, Michigan -- The Detroit Tigers have hired AJ Hinch to be their new manager, giving him a chance to return to a major league dugout after he was fired by Houston in the wake of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

It's an opportunity for the 46-year-old to revive his managerial career. Hinch guided Houston to the 2017 World Series title, but that championship, and a lot of what Hinch accomplished there, is now viewed in a different light. An investigation found the Astros used a video feed from a center field camera to decode the opposing catcher's signs. In January, Major League Baseball suspended Hinch and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow for this season, then the Astros immediately fired both.

Timeline of Houston Astros cheating scandal

Hinch was a big league catcher who played for the Tigers in 2003. He managed Arizona from May 2009 until July 2010. When he took over the Astros before the 2015 season, they had not finished above .500 since 2008, but Houston had a winning record in all five years under Hinch, including that 2017 World Series title and the 2019 American League pennant.