Taking stock of where Tigers' roster stands amid flurry of IL stints
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Detroit — His tone was almost defiant.
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Dillon Dingler was asked about the possible negative impact of the sudden accumulation of key injuries the Tigers are dealing with.
“(Stuff) happens,” he said. “Most teams go through it every year. We just have to find our way through. We’re going to play good ball, tight ball from here on out and we’re going to find a way.”
It’s been a lot. It was starting pitchers Reese Olson and Troy Melton, plus reliever Beau Brieske in spring training. It was Justin Verlander going on the injured list after just one start. It was center fielder Parker Meadows breaking his forearm in a frightening collision with Riley Greene on April 9.
And since then it’s felt like a parade of players going down: No. 3 starter Casey Mize. Relievers Connor Seabold and Will Vest. Utility players Zach McKinstry and Javier Báez. Second baseman Gleyber Torres has been unavailable the last two days.
And then the hammer Monday, Tarik Skubal bound for arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow.
"A team takes the body blow, the upper cut, the punch and it hits you for a minute," manager AJ Hinch said. "Then you have to get back to competing. … We have to find a different way to win and then get to tomorrow. We have to take that mentality to overcome this injury (Skubal) in particular, but also all the ones before that.
"It's a test. You can't deny it's a big blow. But they aren't going to cancel the season. We've got to go play."
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The baseball schedule doesn’t allow time for wallowing. The Tigers, as much or more than most teams, are built to absorb some of these shock waves. The 40-man roster is deeper than it has been and it has been stocked with multi-positional players and versatile arms.
Rookie Hao-Yu Lee has stepped in at third and second. Rookie Kevin McGonigle, the reigning rookie of the month, has shown no signs of stress from having to soldier the full load at shortstop. Matt Vierling and Wenceel Perez have filled the void in center field.
McKinstry returned to active duty Tuesday, which should provide a boost.
The pitching side seems more complicated.
The Tigers went into the game Tuesday with three healthy starters: Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero.
Mize, who has continued to throw while he rehabs his groin, could come back as early as May 12, but that would be without a rehab assignment. Verlander is just about ready to start throwing to hitters, but he’s still probably a couple of weeks away.
Melton has begun his rehab assignment, but Hinch has characterized it as starting a spring training-type build-up, which is usually five or six weeks for a starting pitcher.
Sawyer Gipson-Long, another right-hander, had returned to the Mud Hens rotation but has been dealing with some unannounced discomfort.
There is no timetable on Skubal but conservatively, he’s likely out through July.
Ty Madden gave an encouraging performance Monday, pitching five scoreless innings in bulk relief, which likely will be the route going forward in the two open rotation spots.
"It's not just an option, it's a necessity right now," Hinch said of deploying more bullpen games going forward. "It's just kind of where we are at. There are going to be strategic (bullpen) days and there are going to be necessity (bullpen) days until things settle down.”
That has and will continue to put extra stress on the bullpen. It’s why recently called-up Ricky Vanasco was in the game in the seventh inning Monday trying to protect a lead. It’s why Kyle Finnegan pitched in the eighth inning Sunday despite the Tigers being up by six runs. It’s why Kenley Jansen, who hadn’t pitched in a week, pitched in the top of the ninth inning Monday with the team down a run.
“I told the guys before the game, we're going to have to do things a little differently," Hinch said. "I can't wait for a save situation for Kenley. I can't wait until there's a lead for guys who are used to pitching with a lead, given how we've had to move some things around."
There are relievers at Triple-A Toledo with big-league experience: Lefties Drew Sommers, Bryan Sammons and Sean Guenther, plus righties Scott Effross, Tyler Mattison, Konnor Pilkington, Tanner Rainey and Cole Waites.
These are not ideal times, obviously. But it doesn’t have to be a death knell on the season.
"There is a light at the end of this tunnel, even when it feels dark. We will piece this together as we go."
Red Sox at Tigers
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Comerica Park, Detroit
TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net/97.1, 107.9 FM
Scouting report
TBA, Red Sox: It is unclear what the Red Sox plans are. Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray are on the injured list, and Ranger Suarez left his start Sunday with hamstring tightness.
RHP Jack Flaherty (0-2, 5.90), Tigers: The Tigers need to Flaherty to conquer his command demons, now more than ever with Skubal, Mize and Verlander all on the injured list. His 25 walks in 29 innings lead all big-league pitchers. The problem has intensified over his last three starts when, in addition to allowing four home runs, he walked 11 in just nine innings.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Taking stock of where Detroit Tigers' roster stands amid injuries