Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was meeting with the Peacock broadcast team on Sunday afternoon when pitcher Justin Verlander walked by.
Verlander had just finished a bullpen, part of his rehab from an injury, and he was smiling and joking around.
“JV walked by and talked to [Peacock broadcaster Anthony] Rizzo, he did not talk to me, so I assumed that was good news,” Hinch said on Sunday, May 3 before the Tigers’ 7-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. “He was all upbeat and happy seeing Rizz. I joked with Rizz when he left. I was like, ‘That means he feels really good.’”
Verlander was indeed feeling encouraged after his bullpen.
“It was a good day today, up to 94, good life on everything – all positives,” Verlander said with an upbeat tone.
That’s some welcome news for a team with 13 players on the injured list, which is a crazy number this early in the season. In fact, it’s the second-most in the American League, trailing only the Houston Astros’ 14 on the IL, according to Baseball Reference.
Would somebody please just put the Tigers in bubble wrap?
“I mean, I’m worried about all our guys, especially given the way our last few weeks have gone,” Hinch said. “It’s just the way that our injured list has grown. So, it’s always heightened awareness right now. … We were putting somebody on the injured list daily, it felt for a while, taking guys out of games and things like that”
On Saturday alone, reliever Will Vest went on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain and fellow reliever Kenley Jansen has been dealing with a sore right groin and lower abdomen. Then,second baseman Gleyber Torres pulled himself out against Texas. It felt like a scary movie that just wouldn’t end.
But stop the presses (or pause the scroll, whatever): Suddenly, the Tigers are getting good news.
Torres did not go on the injured list.
Let me stop right there: You know a team is banged up and has had a run of bad luck when it’s considered news when a guy doesn’t go on the IL.
“All of the tests came back with positive news, which is great,” Hinch said. ” When those tests came back [Saturday] night, it made me sleep a lot better.”
Lest you think we harp only on the negative, here’s some more good news: Tarik Skubal had his own scare. He grabbed the outside of his arm while pitching against the Atlanta Braves in his last start, on Thursday. And most of Detroit went into a panic attack. For good reason. But he finished the outing throwing gas and has felt good ever since.
“No news is good news,” Hinch said.
Sorry, Sparky
Former Tigers manager Sparky Anderson famously said that the 40-game mark is the point at which you can judge a team.
Don’t look now, but the Tigers (18-17) are just five games from that mark.
But I think it’s almost impossible to judge this team fairly, right now, because of the injuries.
Think of it this way: They are literally missing half their 26-man roster.
But somehow, they have still managed a winning record. Even better than that, they are tied for first place in the AL Central, along with the Cleveland Guardians.
For the sake of comparison, take a glance around the teams leading the American League.
The Guardians have just three guys on the IL, same as the AL West-leading Athletics. And the New York Yankees are first in the AL East and have just six on the IL.
I’m not making excuses for the Tigers. But it’s the truth. They are seriously banged up.
I mean, the Tigers were so desperate for a right-handed hitting infielder that they traded for Zack Short, the former Tiger. Short was playing in the Washington Nationals’ organization – not on their big-league team, though; he was in Triple-A Rochester – and the Tigers grabbed him.
In the ninth inning Sunday, the Tigers’ infield included Kevin McGonigle at third, Short at short and Hao-Yu Lee at second. Nobody would have predicted that a few months ago.
Not even Short, who got moved up to the Tigers on Sunday after one game with Triple-A Toledo.
“It’s kind of funny, never went through my mind – ever,” he said.
And yet?
“Here we are,” he said, smiling. “I get to see the new renovations of Comerica.”
Yes, here they are.
The Tigers’ rotation is so messed up they had to go back to “pitching chaos” on Sunday. Because Casey Mize is hurt, just like Verlander. But it goes back further than that; they are playing without Beau Brieske, Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton.
Wait.
I have some good news to report about Melton.
He was injured in spring training but he pitched two innings on Sunday for Low-A Lakeland.
The big news? He was sitting at 97 mph and topped out at 99 mph.
I mean, hallelujah, right?
“It’s good to see him pitching competitively,” Hinch said.
Here’s how Hinch is thinking about it: Melton just finished his first “spring training” outing.
Translation: It’s going to take some time for him to return.
But he’s moving in the right direction, which is tremendous for the Tigers.
Tigers hanging tough in Central
Every team goes through injuries.
But the real story of this season, at this point, is how the Tigers have cobbled together a winning record, despite the injuries.
Skeptics could say: This team is barely above .500 in the weak AL Central.
But I prefer to say: It’s amazing this team is in first place with all these injuries.
It’s a testament to their depth and resilience.
And that brings us to the most important point: Just think of the potential this team has when these injured guys get back. Can you imagine what this team could look like when you add Jobe, Melton, Mize and a mechanically fixed Verlander? Then, bring back Vest and Javier Báez?
That’s a petty dang good group.
As long as they can weather this stretch.
And that’s where things are trending in a positive direction for a change.
It seems likely that Zach McKinstry will return soon – he has played two games for Toledo and one in Lakeland.
And Verlander was encouraged on Sunday, not just in how he felt but in what he has fixed.
While recovering from injury, Verlander has discovered that he had a mechanical flaw that he believes led to his injury. He has been trying to fix the mechanical problem, while getting back to max effort.
“I need hitters to tell, but the feel, mentally, feels great, look feels great, the metrics are good, all positives,” he said. “The only negatives? I’m not in a game yet.”
So, in the short term, the Tigers just need to tread water. Keep fighting. Keep hanging around.
Until the injured get healthy.
And every day, that’s getting closer.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers’ share of 1st place simply amazing with all their injuries
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
