Spring Training has only just begun, and the Tigers are already being hit with injuries
Detroit’s Opening Day isn’t for another three weeks, but the hits are already starting…
Detroiters have already had to deal with the injury bug that fucking decimated the Detroit Lions. Say what you want, but injuries absolutely played a role in their season being cut short. Unfortunately, it seems that bad injury luck is beginning to shift sports, and hit the Tigers. In a matter of just two weeks, two of Detroit’s expected Opening Day starters have been shut down unexpectedly.
We can stop lying to ourselves, we all wanted Bregman here in Detroit. The fit and the need were perfect, and having him at the hot corner to start the year would have been great. After our swing and miss (pun intended), we all began talking ourselves into Matt Vierling at 3rd. I had fully processed it, and was ready for Vierling. .257 average, 16 home runs, and a WAR of 3.0? Sign me up!
…then the injuries started to hit. Matt Vierling was ruled out for opening day with a strained right rotator cuff. Not only was he in line to be our starting third basemen, he was also slated to take some innings in right field. Now, he’ll start the year on the injured list.
To compound the bad injury luck, Parker Meadows is now out indefinitely with a nerve issue in his arm. He’s technically not ruled out for Opening Day, but a nerve issue, especially in your arm, is super difficult to predict. He needs to workout the numbness in his forearm, and get the nerve to wake up. I’m no doctor, but not knowing if the nerve will be fine in a week, or in six weeks is not ideal.
At the moment, Parker is not approved for any baseball activities, with no end in sight. If ruled out, Detroit would be missing their third leading home run hitter in Vierling, and a potentially gold glove outfielder, and possible cornerstone in Parker. Fucking yikes.
After a season of an extremely anemic offense, adding only Gleyber Torres likely wasn’t gonna get it done. But you take away Parker and Vierling to that already piss poor offense and were in trouble. Add that to the already injured offseason acquisition of almost 40 year old Alex Cobb. The Tigers are already under water and the season still doesn’t begin for another month.
Only good thing is, Opening Day in Detroit this year is on a Friday so downtown should be amazing.
Eat ‘em up Tigers, Eat ‘em up.
