The Tigers have pulled back Matt Manning from his minor league rehab stint after he was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters last night (via Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic and Jason Beck of MLB.com). Hinch didn’t provide a specific timetable for when the right-hander may again get back to the mound, but he noted it wouldn’t be for the “foreseeable future.”
Manning first landed on the injured list in mid-April due to shoulder inflammation. He went to Triple-A Toledo on May 8 to begin a rehab stint, seemingly positioning him to return by the end of the month. Manning was pulled early from a start with the Mud Hens last Thursday, but general manager Al Avila suggested afterwards that was unrelated to any arm soreness and instead because the 24-year-old felt light-headed.
The Tigers sent Manning back out with Toledo on Tuesday, suggesting they weren’t concerned about whatever caused his early departure last week. He made it through just 1 2/3 innings and issued a pair of walks — bringing his total to seven free passes in his last 7 2/3 Triple-A frames — before informing the team of his arm discomfort. After revealing the biceps issue, Manning now looks in line for a lengthy absence.
It’s the latest in a series of blows to the Detroit rotation, which has been decimated by injury. Of Detroit’s season-opening starting five, four — Manning, Casey Mize, Eduardo Rodríguez and Tyler Alexander — are on the IL. So is veteran Michael Pineda, who was expected to take Alexander’s spot at the back end after a few build-up outings in Toledo. Detroit entered the year knowing they’d be without Spencer Turnbull, who underwent Tommy John surgery last July and won’t be an option until the tail end of the season at the earliest.
That the Tigers still rank middle-of-the-pack with a 4.19 rotation ERA is fairly impressive — largely attributable to a breakout season from their lone healthy top starter, Tarik Skubal. Beyond Skubal, Detroit has been left turning things over to Alex Faedo, Beau Brieske and Elvin Rodríguez, while they’re in the process of stretching out Rony García from relief. That’s obviously not ideal, and when paired with an offense that has been largely ineffective, has led to a disappointing 16-28 start.
Manning, Mize and Skubal were each top prospects before they reached the big leagues, with the Tigers envisioning that trio anchoring their next contender. Mize had the best 2021 numbers of the group, while Skubal has emerged as one of the top arms in the American League this season. Manning has yet to have much success at the big league level. The 24-year-old posted a 5.80 ERA across 85 1/3 innings last year, and he’s been limited to two starts this season.
Hinch did offer a moderately encouraging update on Mize, who has also been down since mid-April with an elbow sprain. He’s hoping to begin a throwing program by next week (Stavenhagen link). Given that he hasn’t pitched in six weeks, the righty will certainly need some time to build up arm strength before heading out on a rehab stint of his own.
The timeline is clearer for top outfield prospect Riley Greene, whom Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press reports is set to begin a rehab assignment tonight with Low-A Lakeland. Viewed as a candidate to break camp with the club as the Opening Day center fielder, Greene instead suffered a foot fracture late in Spring Training. That has kept the former #5 overall pick on the injured list all season, but it seems he’s nearing a return. Greene has yet to make his big league debut, but Detroit’s sputtering lineup should afford him an opportunity fairly quickly after he works back into game shape.
Anthony, I think you’re selling the Tiger ragtag rotation short. Skubal was a 9th round draft pick, Brieske a 27th rounder, ElRod was obtained through a trade five years ago and Rony Garcia was a 2019 Rule 5 guy. Only Faedo has any bona fides as a 1st round pick (18th overall). How these guys aren’t getting shelled every night is almost a miracle, but they keep the team in almost every game. Offense is the big problem with the Tigers at the bottom by far.
True story. For what it’s worth, we did know that the Tigers would be top heavy in pitching when they were to come out of the rebuild. But, even knowing that, some of the successes from pitchers who weren’t expected to be serviceable major leaguers are becoming just that. Good to see. I give a lot of credit to Chris Fetter, the pitching coach.
At this rate of injury, Jackson Jobe will be up by next spring.
I think he might be next year any way. He’s got the makings of a very early mlb career path
He’s getting annihilated in A ball, relax lol.
Which is expected. He was a high schooler. By the end of this year he will be fine. After AA and a brief stint in AAA next year, he may be up in the summer of 2023. Stuff is there.
Jobe had one bad outing and is currently sitting near 4.50 ERA/FIP. That does not at all look like “getting annihilated” to me, despite Jobe being three years younger than the average player in that league.
Gruß,
BSHH
Go get BIG SEXY!
Career over before it began.
Poor Matt Manning, that sucks for him. Major arm trouble at 24, not good. So many guys tanking the Tigers. Tork looks badly outmatched almost every AB. Grossman completely forgot how to hit. They seem like they should be better but they just suck.
Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with Grossman. He strikes out twice every game. Tork is looking better lately. He has struggled initially every time he has been promoted, but then he figures it out. Even when he looked really bad he was still drawing walks and playing terrific first base. Plus, he’s only 22.
I dont see Tork as being badly outmatched. He’s got some rough luck on the close pitches. But I do agree he needs to be a little more aggressive. Gotta swing if you aren’t getting calls.
The main problem is the people with established records aren’t hitting anywhere near their normal. Grossman like you mentioned, Schoop, Candy, Baez, Meadows before injury.
I think they’ve turned the corner. I could be wrong, but the late inning comebacks are a really good sign and make me optimistic.
Cole Hamels is available.
Don’t worry Faedo about to win ROY
Skubal is the real deal, has been steadily improving throughout his minor league ascent, shows you don’t have to be a high draft pick to be successful.
Tigers fans: What else could go wrong?
Tigers pitchers: hold my beer!
They can’t catch a break this year.
Sad. Very sad.
Beyond the starting staff there are not many members of the team that have not seen some IL time. Miggy….39 and hitting .300.
Trying his best to carry what offence there is.
I’m enjoying Miggy’s mini revival. He still hits in the clutch. But what happened to EVERYONE else?!! Miggy and Harold Castro cannot carry an offense. Might be time to put Schoop back at 1B and let Harold play 2nd. Give Torkelson some additional time at Toledo. His strike zone judgement is fine for a young player, but way too many grounders.
If anyone wants some positive news about Tigers pitchers, Derek Law is down in Toledo, and has appeared in 13 games. In 17 innings, he’s struck out 20 and has a 1.00 WHIP. He’s given up exactly ZERO runs and has 7 saves.
He was signed to a minor league deal. Might be time to call him up.
I am totally impressed with what this pitching staff has accomplished with the putrid offense that there given each day. I am not worried about Tork looking over matched in his 1st year facing MLB pitchers. Not everyone is Mike Trout and hits .300 right from the get go. He will settle in eventually. The problem is he is being depended on being the “big stick” in this awful lineup! He is surrounded by mediocre talent and Al Avila needs to take some of the blame for this. I know it’s not AA fault that our starting pitching staff is made of mache, but he has had quite a few years to get this team over the hump and it just isn’t happening.
IMO, it’s time for new leadership in the front office. If you go back to his start after Dombrowksi left the Tigers, what has he accomplished? The trades of Verlander, JD.Martinez? The FA signings (Joe Nathan, Jordan Zimmerman, Josh Harrison, etc)? I mean outside of drafting players like Mize, Tork, Greene, which is low hanging fruit, he has STUNK at drafting good players. I’m interested to hear opinions of other true Tiger fans. Am I being too critical? Am i right? Please let me know what your thoughts are, b/c I have to assume I am not the only Tiger fan feeling this way?
I doubt too many people actually agree with all of that long-winded nonsense. I certainly don’t.
Then why don’t you give us a short version of why you’d be correct in your opinion there chief? People like you always criticize others opinions, but then when your asked how you’d fix it, your 3rd grade education starts to shine through and you got nothing much to say. Grab some crayons and draw a picture for mama’s fridge and the rest of us will talk baseball.
Your take on the pitching staff seems about right and you’re not wrong about Torkelson, either. Where you went off the rails was when you started your rant about Avila and the team as a whole. Money was spent, the team was improved (at least on paper). Unfortunately, several guys have went into a slump at the same time and there have been a lot of injuries. If you weren’t such a whiny crybaby, you’d see that they’ve won seven of their last last twelve games and that things are starting to turn around.
A whiny crybaby b/c I feel the GM has been given a long enough chance to turn this team and this rebuild around? It’s called an opinion, simple and plain. And I was very interested in what others had to say, not saying at all that my opinion was the only one that mattered. IMO, Avila has had ample opportunity to get things corrected. I am hoping that if we do end up in the upper portion of the draft once again, that we draft some bats b/c offense is where we are truly lacking. I also believe that once Tork gets used to MLB pitching and gets Greene for some protection in the lineup that he’ll also get things going. They were thinking of sending him down until his recent stretch of .265/.333/.441 with 3 doubles and a homer with a much better walk to K ratio kicked in. He’ll struggle this year but hoping he’ll take his lumps and come out better in 2023.
Spent money, following the Dombrowski plan of “filling in the holes” with proven Free Agents. That is unsustainable as history proves. A) Free agents have recognized their value in this situation and are demanding top dollar for longer term contracts. Prior to this, you could get a guy for 3-4 years, pay good money, the FAs were happy, set for life. Now they are demanding generational money and being supported by the media. B) You have to have a good base and show it in the standings. We were never close. C) It is a short-sighted, “here and now” plan to begin with. It is actually part of the strategy, and it takes into account the situation of your rivals. We are not in that situation to be totally dominate. D)Requires disregarding.the budget. E) Requires sacrificing the future potential and disregards long term strategy. F) The idea is win it now and sell for a decade or a lifetime (sic 1968). You have to win it or its a loss. Its an all or nothing strategy.
Trout had a very ho-hum if not mediocre initial MLB debut in 2011 (.220/.297/.390). Notably, he picked it up and never looked back upon his return in 2012.
*220/281/390 sorry.
I am the Suoerfife.
I am available. I am a Yes man, only when it comes to people like Alan White, other than that, I see the value in opposites.
I am a fan. I can increase fan optimism and build a perennial winner. If things don’t go well, I am a patsy. I am sure, opening a second line of communication with other GMs and owners by creating an Office of the Liason to the Owner, can’t be bad. I am from outside of the box. I can see the forrest for the trees. Recently, Al and Chris, starting with his dad, have made big things out of personal relations with.the players – we’re talking about charismatic jocks here…how tough is it to hang around a cool guy like Candelario…and the trade him? That’s why Al can’t pull the trigger on trades, he knows and loves these guys….
Al NEEDS A GOVERNOR!
CHRIS NEEDS A BUFFER.
SUPERFIFE NEEDS A JOB.
-Everyone wins!
HIRE THE SUPERFIFE.
You guys should support me, as my first task is to convince Chris Illich.that it IS TIME TO REINVEST in the Tigers, increase payroll, maybe take a loss ( thats what NOL tax lawyers are for!), Not for World Series push, like a Dombrowski move, but in an effort to pick up top prospects for the future.
Support the Superfife you jockstraps! Yeah, I’ve got the balls and I need your support.
Heck, Al should support me.
Need I remind you guys= I WAS BORN IN DETROIT, proper.
Al’s interest is financial.
MY INTEREST IS PERSONAL AND YES, IT’S A BIG DEAL TO ME.
I’m guessing that Garrett Hill will join the Tigers’ rotation before the end of July. I’m looking forward to it.
Tigers have had awful luck with starters and the hitters aren’t hitting. Add to that, Al Avila may not be the Man who can get it fixed. How many years does he get?
Maybe try and talk to Rick Porcello about a minor league deal to add some depth?
And personally, the price of hotdogs sickens me.
Baseball was never meant to be a bourgeois sport. A) because none of us can spell it without help. B) it’s a French word, not American. C) if you can’t put ketchup (catsup) on it, we don’t want it.