DETROIT >> When Wenceel Perez got the call last April that he’d been promoted to the big leagues, his first call was to his parents back in the Dominican Republic.

There were screams of joy and tears and they assured their son they’d do everything they could to try to get to the United States to see his debut, which was in Pittsburgh on April 8 last year.

It proved to be an impossible task. They couldn’t get travel visas that quickly.

“They thought they would never be able to come to the United States,” Perez said.

Never say never. It took about 18 months, but the Perez family, thanks in no small part to the persistence of the Tigers, finally received their visas and on Tuesday were at Comerica Park watching their son play right field for the Tigers for the first time.

“It’s a pretty amazing experience that they are here,” Perez said. “They are really happy and I am really happy for them. It’s like a miracle.”Perez’s parents, Wendy and Gunerge, arrived in Detroit late Sunday night. They haven’t seen their son play baseball since 2017 when he was playing in the Dominican Summer League.

“My dad was so happy,” Wenceel said. “He was smiling all the time and taking video of everything. I was like, ‘Man, I know you’re happy.’”

Perez said his parents are expected to stay for three weeks.

“We take for granted all the things we have here growing up in the game,” manager AJ Hinch said. “Wenceel is such a part of the fabric of this team, his enthusiasm, his smile, his energy, his contribution. But all of that is secondary to the moment when he gets to share it with his family as a big-leaguer.

“He’s playing out there with a lot of pride for so many reasons. That name on the back of his jersey represents a lot of his life. It’s really cool to hear how emotional he is about it and how proud he is to be a big-leaguer in front of his family.”

Rotation switch

The Tigers flipped their starters for the first two games of the Seattle Mariners series this weekend at Comerica Park. Tarik Skubal will now pitch today and Casey Mize will go Saturday.

The move will give Skubal an extra day before he pitches in the All-Star Game Tuesday and will give Mize, who threw 102 pitches in his last outing, an extra day of rest before his final start before the break.

“It was a manageable pitch count for Tarik in his last start (93) and there’s the potential of him starting the All-Star Game,” Hinch said. “Over the course of the next 10 days, what’s best for Tarik and what’s best for us was to keep him on regular rest.

“And with Casey coming off the highest pitch total of the year, extra rest is always good.”

This will also allow Hinch to set his rotation for after the break, with Skubal slotting back in on Sunday at Texas.

Tougher than most

Dillon Dingler was hit in his helmet’s C-flap by a 95-mph fastball from Rays right-hander Eric Orze Tuesday night and said he didn’t really feel it. And he wasn’t bruised, swollen, sore or concussed Wednesday.

“Well, he’s a catcher, so you start with a certain level of toughness,” said Hinch, a former catcher. “And he’s tough even in a tough group. You have to bring a pretty big punch if you’re going to go after that jaw. Thankfully that C-flap was there.

“But he’s a tough kid.”

C-flaps are attached to the batting helmet and cover essentially the jawline that’s exposed to the pitcher.

“I wasn’t happy about it,” Dingler said. “That’s just the nature of things when you get hit, especially high up like that. But it’s no hard feelings. Just in the moment, you’re upset. But it’s all good. Everything checked out OK.”

Progress minimal

Right-hander Alex Cobb (hip inflammation) threw a bullpen Tuesday and it wasn’t encouraging.

“He’s still symptomatic and working through not only what he can tolerate (pain-wise) and what he can execute,” Hinch said. “It’s frustrating for him. He’s done a lot of work and he’s trying to do as much as he can. But it’s one hip one day and the other hip the next day.”

Cobb had the left hip surgically repaired in 2023. The right hip has kept him on the injured list all year. He’s taken multiple injections in each hip since the beginning of spring training.

“I feel for him,” Hinch said. “It’s not for a lack of effort or toughness. It’s not for a lack of anything other than his body is failing him right now.”

The Tigers signed Cobb for one year and $15 million over the winter.