DETROIT >> Spencer Torkelson is back in the bigs, and back to smiling.

Torkelson, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020 who struggled so mightily with the Tigers this season that he was demoted to Triple-A Toledo, was recalled before Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park.

“I belong here,” Torkelson said Saturday, after walking through the clubhouse with a big old grin on his face. “So it’s good to be back.

“Gosh, I miss this place, you know? I miss these guys.”

The move came one day after the Tigers brought up infield prospects Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney. Torkelson was placed right into the Tigers’ lineup, and was set to bat sixth and play first base in his first action for Detroit since June 1.

Torkelson, 24, batted .239/.356/.443 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs in 58 games for Toledo, after he hit .201/.266/.330 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 54 games with the Tigers prior to his early June demotion.

Torkelson struck out 85 times in 275 plate appearances at Toledo, but also walked 42 times.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch met with Torkelson in recent weeks, and said Saturday there was a lot of good that Torkelson accomplished in Toledo, while there is room for improvement. Defense is one area the Tigers would like to see marked improvement.

“You know, first-base defense, I think is underrated across the board, just because we immediately look at offense at that position,” Hinch said Saturday, adding that Torkelson has worked with minor-league infield coordinator Billy Boyer, and that work will continue in earnest at the major-league level with Tigers coach Joey Cora. “But you touch the ball as much as anybody.

“He’s got to be a positive defender to be the best player he can be. It’s very important.”

While the demotion was longer than maybe many expected, the Tigers never backed off, at least not publicly, in their support for the slumping slugger. When asked about Torkelson’s future role with Detroit, team president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters the club has “all the faith in the world” in the first baseman.

Offense, of course, is Torkelson’s calling card. His presence could be key, given the Tigers are left-handed heavy and he bats right-handed.

Torkelson hit 31 homers for the Tigers in 2023, leading to plenty of optimism for an even bigger breakout season in 2024, but he struggled from Day 1 and didn’t hit his first homer for Detroit this season until May 12.

Torkelson acknowledged Saturday he was putting too much pressure on himself.

“I was definitely trying to do too much,” said Torkelson, back at his old locker in the Tigers’ home clubhouse, right next to Riley Greene’s. “As much as I don’t want to admit it, I definitely was, and in this game, if you’re at the plate trying to produce and trying to slug, that’s not the key to success. The key to success is just a solid, consistent approach, being a hitter first, and trusting my natural swing and my natural power.”

Hinch said it’s only natural for a young player like Torkelson to try to do too much, given all the expectations and hype that come with being a No. 1 overall draft pick.

The Tigers took Torkelson No. 1 overall in 2020 out of Arizona State, and signed him for $8.4 million. He made his Detroit debut in in 2022, with a .604 OPS in in 110 games.

After a slow start to 2023, he finished strong and posted a .758 OPS in 159 games.

“Tork has done his part to go down and work hard,” Hinch said. “I understand the natural instinct to put all that pressure on yourself and put all of that responsibility on yourself. It comes with the territory. … We need one of nine hitters. We don’t need him to be two hitters. We don’t need him to be a third of our lineup. We just need him to be a good major-league hitter and part of this developing offense.

“It’s good to have him back.”

To make room for Torkelson, the Tigers demoted 28-year-old infielder/outfielder Bligh Madris, who batted .269/.324/.358 with a homer and five RBIs in 21 games.