Justin Verlander has yet to pitch this season. Shane Greene underwent an MRI on his right elbow this weekend. Other inconsistencies with the starting rotation have begun popping up. Is general manager Dave Dombrowski really starting to explore the trade market?
On top of the issues mentioned above, David Price and Alfredo Simon will be free agents after the season and there's no guarantee either will stay. Last week we wrote the club could be considering trades for a couple of other starting pitchers, and now it seems that's becoming more likely.
Verlander is still making his way back from a triceps strain he suffered in spring training. He has yet to throw a bullpen session, but he'll be throwing around 45 pitches today, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. However, manager Brad Ausmus said he doesn't know if the right-hander will throw his curveball. That indicates Verlander is still ways away from returning to MLB action.
Greene left his start after five shutout innings on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals because he was experiencing a tingling sensation in his right ring and pinky fingers. He underwent an MRI and Ausmus said the preliminary results look "fine" and that Greene "feels fine," but he has yet to see the full results, says Fenech.
The 26-year-old had Tommy John surgery back in 2008 and the last time he felt such tingling sensation was after his first few bullpen sessions following the reconstructive procedure. Greene has reiterated he's feeling no pain and that he left the game early for precautionary reasons. He expects to make his next start and will throw a light bullpen session today to ensure he's ready.
However, if Greene were to suffer an injury or the team opted to be cautious with him moving forward, what does that mean for the Tigers' starting rotation? After all, Will Carroll, who is a sportswriter that specializes in covering medical issues, noted Greene's condition could be "very serious."
If that's the case, Fenech says the Tigers would likely promote Triple-A Toledo starter Buck Farmer, who is 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in eight starts this season. But does the club believe that to be a good option to last them most of the season if it happened to turn out that way? Probably not.
Detroit perhaps faces the most competition they've had in years in the AL Central. The Kansas City Royals have picked up right where they left off after their trip to the World Series last year; the Minnesota Twins have been a pleasant surprise at 21-17; and the Chicago White Sox are hanging around with a .500 record right now. Even the wild-card spot is no guarantee.
"The Tigers have been the hunted the last three years. But this particular Royals' team is the first challenger that might actually put a shred of doubt inside the Tigers' heads should struggles mount this summer. It's why it wouldn't surprise anyone if there's another blockbuster deal awaiting the Tigers as the late July non-waiver trading deadline approaches," Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press wrote last week.
That was before Greene's injury scare.
As Detroit is faced with various injuries and valuable impending free agents, Dombrowski may have something up his sleeve before this year's deadline.
