- Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez, diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat this week, was released from a Detroit-area hospital on Saturday, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. It’s unclear whether Martinez will come off the disabled list when he’s first eligible on June 27, per Beck. For now, “the thought process is probably a week of rest,” said manager Brad Ausmus.
Tigers Rumors
Victor Martinez Diagnosed With Irregular Heartbeat
Veteran Tigers slugger Victor Martinez has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, according to manager Brad Ausmus (via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, on Twitter). Martinez will be placed on the 10-day DL.
Martinez left last night’s game with symptoms of illness, though at the time there was no indication of a significant problem. He ended up requiring an overnight stay in the hospital, and Ausmus suggests that he may do so again tonight, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com tweets.
Further details are not available at this time, and obviously the primary concern lies with the 38-year-old’s overall well-being. MLBTR extends its best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
Scouts Assess J.D. Martinez's Value
The Tigers themselves are waiting to see how what general manager Al Avila calls “the J.D. Martinez situation” unfolds, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes. The Tigers are currently mired in third place at 29-32, but could potentially work their way more clearly toward contention, or out of it, over the next month. If they do find themselves leaning toward trading him, the quality of Martinez’s own play and his health are two more variables, along with which contenders want him and how badly. The Tigers could also keep him and collect a draft pick should he reject a qualifying offer, although they might stand to get more if they trade him this summer. Employees from other teams suggest the return for Martinez might not be spectacular, but it would be considerable. “Maybe the ‘1A’ prospect. Not the tip-top, but among the better group,” says an NL scout. “I’d happily give away our No. 2 and No. 4 prospect,” says a scout from the AL. Martinez has clearly established himself as a consistent power hitter, and his .297/.389/.714 line in 108 plate appearances since returning from a spring foot injury can’t hurt his stock. Here’s more from around the league.
Tigers Activate James McCann From DL
- The Tigers activated catcher James McCann, who has been out of action since May 25 due to a laceration on his left hand. McCann will be returning to a “platoon-oriented” timeshare but not exclusively so, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press). The left-handed Alex Avila has a whopping 1.074 OPS over 139 PA this year, so it seems likely that he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time over the right-handed hitting McCann.
Tigers Release A.J. Achter
- The Cardinals have purchased the contract of first baseman/outfielder Chad Huffman, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports (via Twitter). Righty John Gant was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Huffman’s MLB career consists of nine games with the Yankees in 2010 and he hasn’t been back to the Show since, bouncing between the Cardinals, Tigers and Indians farm systems, as well as spending parts of two seasons in Japan. Originally a second-round pick of the Padres in the 2006 draft, Huffman has an impressive .281/.376/.463 over 4094 career plate appearances in the minors.
- The Marlins have signed right-hander William Cuevas to a minor league deal, as announced by the A1 Performance Group (Twitter link), Cuevas’ agency. The righty elected free agency earlier this week after rejecting an outright assignment from the Tigers. Cuevas, 26, has a limited Major League resume that consists of one-third of an inning for Detroit this season and five innings for Boston in 2016. The 26-year-old has a 3.67 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.67 K/BB rate over 772 2/3 career innings in the minors, with 103 of his 171 appearances coming as a starting pitcher.
- The Tigers and right-handed reliever A.J. Achter “mutually agreed” upon his release yesterday, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The former Twins/Angels reliever will now hit free agency in search of a new club. Achter, 28, has appeared in 45 games between Minnesota and Anaheim in the past three seasons, pitching to a combined 3.92 ERA with 4.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 38.4 percent ground-ball rate in 62 innings of Major League action. He’s had a rough year with Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, however, limping to a 5.34 earned run average with a 24-to-14 K/BB ratio through 28 2/3 innings.
Tigers Activate Kinsler, Option Jones
- The Tigers have announced that they’ve reinstated second baseman Ian Kinsler from the 10-day DL and optioned outfielder JaCoby Jones to Triple-A Toledo. They also announced that catcher James McCann, who suffered a hand laceration after being hit by a pitch late last month, would begin a rehab assignment with Toledo tonight. The Tigers placed Kinsler on the DL on May 27; it appears the hamstring strain that landed him there isn’t especially serious, because he’s back after the minimum time. The 34-year-old is off to a slow start this season, batting .234/.331/.365.
Verlander's MRI Comes Back Clean
- The Tigers announced today that an MRI on Justin Verlander came back clean, and he’ll be reevaluated as the week progresses. (Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press first reported that there was no structural damage revealed by the MRI.) Verlander exited his most recent start early due to discomfort in his groin, though it seems that he’s at least managed to stave off a serious injury. His next start, however, remains TBD according to the Tigers (though Fenech noted that he’s expected to make that outing). Verlander has had an up-and-down season, as his ERA presently rests at 4.63 through 70 innings of work. Outside of 2016 Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, the Tigers have seen their rotation struggle. Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris have combined for a 5.18 ERA on the season, and of the four, Norris’ 4.47 ERA is the best mark.
Tigers Outright Tyler Collins
- Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins will head to Triple-A after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. Detroit designated Collins for assignment last Sunday, and while a trade looked like a possibility then, nothing came to fruition. Before the Tigers jettisoned Collins from their 40- and 25-man rosters, the 26-year-old opened 2017 with a .200/.288/.338 batting line over 146 plate appearances.
Update On Justin Verlander's Groin Injury
- Justin Verlander left during the third inning of today’s 7-4 Tigers win due to groin tightness, a move manager Brad Ausmus said was precautionary in nature (as per MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery and other reporters). Verlander will undergo an MRI just to make sure there isn’t any significant damage, and Ausmus feels the ace should make his next start, though it could be pushed back a day due to an off-day in Detroit’s schedule. Verlander is off to a slow start to the 2017 season, with a 4.63 ERA and career highs in BB/9 (4.24) and hard-hit ball rate (34.2%) through 70 innings.
William Cuevas Elects Free Agency
- The Tigers announced that right-hander William Cuevas, who was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo earlier this week, has rejected the assignment and instead elected free agency. The 26-year-old allowed four runs in a third of an inning in his lone appearance for Detroit this season and has made just four total MLB appearances over the past two seasons (three with Boston in addition to this year’s game with Detroit), but he does have a nice track record in Triple-A. Through 216 1/3 innings of work at that level, Cuevas has a 3.87 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9. He’ll look to latch on with another club, presumably on a minor league deal, now that he’s hit the open market.
