12:02 PM: The preliminary timetable for Greene’s recovery pegs his return at 6-8 weeks, per The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (via Twitter). Greene would almost certainly need time in the minors, and that’s far enough down the line that there are any number of factors that will determine when Greene might actually make his big league debut.
9:06 AM: Tigers top prospect Riley Greene has fractured his right foot, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck (via Twitter). The injury will not require surgery, but he won’t be ready for opening day. Greene is a consensus top prospect in baseball, ranked 4th overall by Baseball America, 5th by MLB.com, and 6th by Baseball Prospectus.
It’s a bummer of a break for the Tigers, who had dreams of seeing Greene take over as their everyday center fielder from day one. Instead, the former number five overall pick will begin the year on the injured list, and there’s no telling when he might be ready. Because he was not on the 40-man roster, however, Greene will not accumulate service time while on the injured list.
Instead, Victor Reyes figures to get a lot more playing time to start the year. He was told that he made the team a couple of days ago, per Evan Woodbery of the MLive Media Group (via Twitter). Reyes posted a .258/.284/.416 line over 220 plate appearances in 2021. The 27-year-old switch-hitter has an 81 wRC+ over 944 plate appearances over his four-year career.
Greene’s potential had helped raise the ceiling for Detroit, turning them into a popular sleeper pick to improve this season, but instead they will turn back to a familiar face in Reyes. Daz Cameron will not be recalled for now, and Derek Hill will not be physically ready for the opener, notes veteran reporter Chris McCosky (via Twitter).
That leaves Reyes as the likely regular in center, especially since Akil Baddoo is currently slated to start in left field. The other potential configuration would put Baddoo in center with Eric Haase or Harold Castro seeing some time in the outfield.
comspiracy theorists: my time has come
Service time baby!
Tork will have hemorrhoids next.
Sucks for the Tigers but they just gained a extra year of control and nobody will be able to blame them for manipulating his service time. I’m not even a Tigers fan but I’ve been closely following Greene and Tork. I think the Tigers will be good again in a couple of years. They have stockpiled some young talent.
What’s a comspiracy? Asking for a friend…..
Hill just made the team. Might save the Tigers from losing a year of control, as Greene would have been among the favorites for ROY.
Still might be even though he will miss the first two months or so.
Hill will start the year on the IL with a hamstring injury
So this means the Other Castro makes the team?
Fudge!
Why can’t we have nice things?
So many injuries already and its not even opening day. Im wondering if players work out too much not with baseball but with weights.
Don’t think fouling a ball off your foot is anything more than a freak occurrence and bad luck.
I have a very close friend from Detroit so I’ve been watching this rebuild with him.
I’m excited to see what Greene can do. Hopefully he recovers fully and quickly from this.
The number of star players injured before OD is just hard to believe.
A shortened spring training and an offseason of training without the usual guidance of the team’s trainers and nutritionists makes it fairly easy to believe honestly
The Tigers were a “popular sleeper pick to improve this season”?
What the heck does that mean? Are they now a “popular sleeper pick to get worse this year?”
Temporary setback for long suffering Tiger’s fan base. You’re putting together a good team.
That sucks he was just flying around the OF in Spring Training.
It’s times like this when I wish humans were indestructible.
This absolutely BLOWS!! He was tearing it up this spring (.411 BA 3 2Bs, 1 3B, 2 HRs) and this? From what I read on the Athletic, it’s true he won’t require surgery but these types of fractures can fester so this will most likely cost him atleast the first quarter of the season. And he was without doubt making this club outta ST too! DAMN…..
Bad luck for Greene and Tigers
They could sign another Out Fielder to fill in
Us tigers fans can’t ever have anything nice.
Go get Conforto!!
…and lose a draft pick…? Me thinks that what made Baez so appealing.
Following the trail blazed by Buxton.
Ah yes, the only two players to ever get injured.
Can’t seriously go into the season with Reyes playing near full time. Watch the waiver wire for some potential late help maybe. Please. Get well soon kid.
I think btw the Castro’s and Haase they’ll have enough outfielders.
Even if Greene had also been able to start the season I am concerned the Tigers are still going to offensively challenged.
The starting 5 appear adequate. That bullpen better be good, cuz I don’t see the Tigers outslugging many teams.
The Tigers are definitely a better team than last year:
E-Rod > injured Boyd and Turnbull
Baez > Niko
Barnhardt > Greiner
Mize, Skubal, Manning developed during 2021 and offseason
Then you have Torkelson and eventually Greene