LAKELAND, FL – Detroit Tigers right-hander Troy Melton, who will likely miss the start of the season with elbow inflation, was asked the big question.
How concerned are you?
“We’ll know more in a week or two,” Melton said on Saturday, Feb. 28. “So, I don’t really know how much I can say, but honestly, I’m not – ”
He stopped himself – didn’t want to jinx himself.
“I don’t really want to say it, I guess,” he said.
And then, it seemed like he did.
“I’m not too concerned over anything too long-term,” Melton said. “We’ll know more for sure in a couple days or a week, but pretty positive for the time being.”
Melton has been shut down from throwing for 1-2 weeks with right elbow inflammation, and he isn’t expected to be ready for Opening Day on March 26 against the San Diego Padres.
“I can’t really say too much about it but got to the two innings and was feeling pretty good,” Melton said. “Then just had a day where it didn’t feel 100% quite right. So I wanted to make sure I got it checked out and make sure nothing too serious was going on. So that was kind of what happened.”
Again, Melton offered an encouraging view.
“I think there’s pretty good hope that I’ll be playing catch fairly soon here, just kind of let some things calm down and then see where we’re at in a few days to a week here,” he said. “Then we’ll be able to make a full plan out from there.”
Melton said that he had a similar issue when he was pitching at San Diego State.
“In college, I dealt with some stuff,” he said. “I got a similar diagnosis and ended up being okay.”
And that gives him comfort.
“I’ve delt with it before and came back and was healthy for five years since then,” he said. “I’m in a good mind space with it right now.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Troy Melton injury report: Tigers RHP feeling ‘pretty positive’
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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