The Detroit Tigers have put themselves in a rare and unfortunate position as of late. The Tigers started the season as World Series favorites, but now a once-dominant pitching staff has become anemic and unreliable and it’s only getting worse.
Tigers Pitching Running Out Of Options
Word came down just yesterday that they might be without Anibal Sanchez for the rest of the season, pending a second option from doctors. This news comes on the heels of the return of Justin Verlander and almost a month after they traded for All-Star southpaw David Price from Tampa Bay, giving up sure-handed CF Austin Jackson and budding star Drew Smyly in the process. Now they have another problem, and it’s Anibal Sanchez.
Sanchez was throwing a few days ago and said he felt great, first throwing at 150-Feet then back to 60-Feet, and according to Brad Ausmus, it wasn’t until he started working on the change-up that he felt something uncomfortable. He felt a sharp pain, and that was the end of the session. His season is now in jeopardy.
Their other trade deadline acquisition, Joakim Soria, is also on the 15-Day DL, but expects to start throwing soon, which is great news for the struggling Tigers.
So where does that leave the Tigers starters and bullpen? The Tigers recently called up Buck Farmer and Robbie Ray to fill in the holes on the pitching staff. Ray was part of the trade that sent Doug Fister to the Nationals, and he’s seen as a future prospect in the eyes of GM Dave Dombrowski. However, the horrible outing he had has left fans and people in the Tigers clubhouse worried that they brought him up too early. Ray has pitched 26 innings and has given up 38 hits and has a 7.09 ERA.
But did they have a choice?
They did.
The Tigers have been making bad decisions lately, and that’s going to hurt them down the stretch if they plan on making a bid for the post-season. The Tigers first mistake stems from their belief that most of these young pitchers are ready to shine on the big stage. In early August, they were in need of a spot starter. Instead of calling up someone from AAA Toledo, the obvious choice for a ball club in the hunt, they called up Buck Farmer. Farmer was just off a stint in Single A and was not ready for the Show. Farmer was a disaster, giving up 11 hits after nine days rest. That’s not what a Major League pitcher on a contender is supposed to do. Robbie Ray also did not show he was worth Doug Fister. Now what? Now it’s time to panic.
That move should be a good indication of how they think of their club in Toledo, especially the pitcher who is slated to make the next start, Kyle Lobstein. Lobstein made his first appearance on August 23rd against the Twins, coming in during the third inning and finishing the game. The rookie pitched decent given the circumstance, allowing three runs on four hits, and posting a 4.76 ERA.
Lobstein is the Tigers only hope to gain momentum. Blaine Hardy, another rookie call-up, is the highest rated pitcher of the rookies with a 20 WAR, a stat that most people pay attention to. Lobstein and Hardy need to take the wheel here and see if they can right the ship before it sinks, because there’s water on deck.
The Tigers have had some bad luck this year. They also thought they’d get a lot of their other key role players back only to be disappointed. Andy Dirks, Jose Iglesias, Bruce Rondon, and now Sanchez. They have also seen Soria land on the DL, and we all can see that Cabrera is not 100 percent. Justin Verlander is not pitching like the JV we’ve come to know. Something is wrong.
The Tigers are on tilt, as poker players say, and they need to re-focus and find out what is going to solve this problem. The decision-making as of late is atrocious. Injuries happen, but it’s how you respond to those injuries and how the Manager’s wisdom affects the lineup and pitching staff that really shows a true champion.
Spending more money on aging arms like Bartolo Colon or Scott Feldman is not the answer. Either is signing Jim Johnson, who was released by Oakland. The Tigers need to calculate these moves before they’re made. Yes, David Price is the best pitcher they could have landed, but did it come at too steep of a cost, and did it disrupt the chemistry of this team? If Sanchez was injured when they made that deal, I don’t think they would have made it. However, it’s good to have that arm on the staff now that trouble is in town.
The Tigers will continue to lean on Max Scherzer, David Price and Rick Porcello, but this bullpen is not comprised of World Series talent. However, this is baseball, the game of chance. They still have time to make some decisions. They still have time to get hot when it counts the most. However, the Manager is the leader and it sure doesn’t seem like he’s got this under control.
The burning question is: How much of this is Brad Ausmus’ fault?
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
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