Tigers’ Matt Moore out for the rest of the season following knee surgery

It’s not the news Tigers fans wanted to hear, but following a successful meniscus surgery on his right knee, pitcher Matt Moore will be out for the remainder of the 2019 season.

Prior to his surgery there was some optimism that Moore would return quickly, given that some similar surgeries can have a turnaround time of a mere six weeks, but doctors had cautioned that they wouldn’t be able to assess the extend of the damage on Moore’s knee until they had him under the knife. Evidently, the damage must have been more considerable than hoped, and while the procedure was a success, he will not be taking to the mound again this year.

The news is a crushing blow to both Moore and the Tigers. Detroit fans were optimistic about Moore’s outlook for the 2019 season after a stellar debut, in which he touched 94 miles per hour on the radar gun and threw seven scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. Moore was expected to be a key piece in Detroit’s rotation this year, and potentially a trade chip prior to July’s deadline.

Few details are known about his surgery other than its success and its outcome. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire released a brief statement to the Detroit media.

Moore was injured during an early April game against the Kansas City Royals after moving awkwardly to avoid a Billy Hamilton comebacker. At the time, Moore even finished the inning, which led many to believe the injury wasn’t too severe and that a short period of rest and conservative rehab might be an option. Shortly thereafter, however, the verdict of necessary surgery was handed down.

The 30-year-old Moore signed a one-year deal with the Tigers this past winter, and was hoping for a comeback season. It would appear that for Moore, that comeback will be put on pause for another year.