The Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster has already taken a hit just days into spring training. Outfielder Cameron Maybin will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks due to a broken wrist.
Maybin, 28, suffered the injury in Wednesday's exhibition game against the New York Yankees after being hit with a pitch on the left wrist by starter Luis Severino. It was his first at-bat of the spring.
The veteran underwent a CT scan this morning, which revealed a non-displaced hairline fracture. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told reporters that the outfielder is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. At first the team viewed CT scan as a precautionary measure, but it ended up proving to be worthwhile for Maybin's long-term health.
Ausmus said he'll undergo more X-rays in two weeks. It's unknown if Maybin start the year on the disabled list.
The 28-year-old came over in a trade with the Atlanta Braves earlier this offseason and the Tigers were hoping he'd make an impact as the team's starting center fielder, but now it looks as if Anthony Gose will take over at that post on Opening Day, depending, of course, on how Maybin progresses.
While this isn't a huge blow for the Tigers, they've had such injury issues for the past two years in the offseason/spring training and it doesn't bode well for the start of the season, especially if the trend were to continue this time around at a similar magnitude. Last year was much worse with Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Justin Verlander, and starting off this year with Maybin's injury may not be a good sign for what's coming.
On the other hand, Detroit possesses formidable outfield depth, so having Gose begin the season in center is the least of the club's worries. The 25-year-old hit .254/.321/.367 with 73 runs scored, 5 home runs, 26 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 140 games (485 at-bats) last year compared to Maybin's .267/.327/.370 stat line with 65 runs scored, 10 home runs, 59 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 141 games (505 at-bats).
The corner outfield spots are occupied by Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez, so it's safe to say the unit's offense will be just fine as Maybin recovers.
