Detroit Tigers News: Handling injuries in a lost season

The Detroit Tigers are playing exclusively for pride at this point. There is no reason to take any risks with the team for wins. And honestly, the ideal scenario is tanking for a better draft pick.

But this isn’t the NBA. And a team consisting of Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, and Justin Verlander is never going to roll over. So you run out your best squad everyday and let the chips fall where they may — to an extent.

One lever you can control is how you manage your disabled list. Obviously don’t game the system and just have a player sit there (hi Boston Red Sox.) You can, however, draw out a rehab and elongate the recovery processes. The Tigers have two cornerstones of their future currently inhabiting the DL, Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer.

It is difficult to tell a player to ease in their recovery, but the Tigers should take as much time as possible with both the young guns. Even if the time off is “killing” Fulmer. Norris has had multiple setbacks and the second and third opinions for Fulmer should give everyone plenty of pause. The team appears to be in no rush to bring them back and should continue this strategy through August. Please bubble wrap these assets with extended DL time for the rest of 2017.

Other roster moves

Ian Kinsler cleared revocable waivers... just an FYI to the Milwaukee Brewers. Jeimer Candelario had a short but sweet stint in the majors and he is now back with the Mud Hens. And honorary Tiger Jack White partnered with the team to create a record that includes an interview with Kirk Gibson. Get your special tickets for September 24th early.

Nick Castellanos is now tied for the league lead in triples

His brother is not impressed.

Reload not rebuild?

I was first in line to support the team going all in on the rebuild. This team is not good enough to compete for a championship, especially when you compare them to the league leading Houston Astros or Los Angeles Dodgers. But did you know that despite losing four of their last five, the Tigers are 12-14 since the All Star break? And at times, dare I say, they have looked like a decent baseball team.

What I am getting at is, just because there is a downward trajectory, the team shouldn’t sell assets for half price just to jump start the rebuild. The Tigers have plenty of talent to still compete. In the winter, if good deals show up, make the moves. Otherwise, I would like to see the team run it back with a similar squad and see how they do. They might just surprise.

Same

Brad Ausmus has jokes

As you do in the middle of a boring losing season, MLive ranked every manager the Tigers’ have ever had. Not surprisingly Mickey Cochrane (player managers are awesome) and Sparky Anderson were at the top.

The article did provide a little intrigue with where they placed Brad Ausmus as it was much higher than many Tigers fans think he should be placed. Anyway, Ausmus, ever aware of his standing with the fans, had some fun with the nickname jerseys:

“Fire? Fire Ausmus,” Ausmus said. “That would have been a good one.”

Ausmus previously said he would go with "Aus" as the nickname that appears on his nickname jersey. He joked during a radio interview this morning about replacing the "u" with another "s."

You may not like him, but you have to respect his self deprecation.

For your free time

Expectations are high for Dawel Lugo, headliner of the J.D. Martinez trade. Lucas Duda’s farewell to the Mets is well done. Jeff Wilpon not accepting multiple prospects because he wouldn’t pay $4 million is the wrong way to builb a baseball team. And it’s the #YearOfPositionPlayersPitching.

Baseball is awesome