DETROIT -- The Tigers are giving Grayson Greiner a chance to heal his strained lower back before it gets any worse by placing the catcher on the 10-day injured list. But in the process, they’re also giving him a reset button on a difficult stretch.
Though Greiner has flashed power from time to time this season with five home runs, his 1-for-25, 12-strikeout stretch since June 1 dropped his batting average to .162, his lowest point since April 13. His .510 OPS was the lowest on the team among hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season, and his strikeout total (57) grew to more than double his hit ledger (25).
While the Tigers didn’t come into this season expecting a ton of offense from him, the at-bats recently were concerning.
Given the responsibilities a catcher has in putting together scouting reports and pitching plans for each game, batter to batter, taking extra time to work on hitting often isn’t available on the schedule.
“This is a good break for him,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He probably needs a mental break to get some swings in on a rehab [assignment], probably. [Bobby] Wilson’s up here; he’s not going to catch four or five times a week, probably a couple times a week.”
Barring a surprise, Wilson will probably get a couple of weeks, maybe three at the most. Greiner’s IL stint is expected to be a minimal one; the 10 days should be long enough to allow him to treat his back, while getting in some hitting work once it loosens up.
Zimmermann nearing return to Tigers rotation?
The initial impression when Jordan Zimmermann began his rehab assignment was that the right-hander would get a few Minor League starts before hopping back into the Tigers' rotation. But Zimmermann, who yielded four runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts for Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, thinks he could be ready by next week.
“I’m not sure what the plan is,” Zimmermann said. “Hopefully, I’ll be pitching up here.”
Gardenhire wasn’t sure of the plan as of Saturday morning. He said after the Tigers optioned Ryan Carpenter to Toledo on Friday, that the club would probably need Carpenter again next time they need a fifth starter in two weeks, but that might not be the case.
“Anything’s feasible,” Gardenhire said. “We have a whole big program for him, but … we’ve changed that 16 times. It changed yesterday, again.”
Tigers to play it cautious with Mize
Perhaps the sight of Tigers general manager Al Avila on the field for batting practice in street clothes with a glove, fielding throws from infielders, was a sign of his sense of relief at the news that top prospect Casey Mize does not seem to have a serious shoulder injury. But don’t expect the Tigers to rush the right-hander back to action.
Mize is expected to get on a treatment program to reduce the inflammation in his right shoulder, then work his way back. With the Tigers mindful of Mize’s innings this year in his first full pro season regardless, this is a chance for them to taper his workload for the second half of the season.
Given how Mize has been handling Eastern League hitters, the Tigers will have an interesting decision once he does return to action: How quickly should they move him up to Triple-A Toledo coming off injury? A promotion wasn’t believed to be imminent before the injury, but it was getting close.
For now, the replacement for Mize in the SeaWolves' rotation is yet to be known. Class A Advanced Lakeland ace Tarik Skubal, the Tigers’ 17th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, would seem to be a strong candidate with 11 scoreless innings on five hits and 16 strikeouts over his last two starts.
However, highly-touted, oft-injured prospect Franklin Perez is nearing a return, having thrown solid bullpen sessions at the Tigers’ Spring Training facility in Lakeland. If he looks fine when he returns, he could move north quickly.