LAKELAND, Fla. -- Troy Melton is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after the promising Tigers right-hander was diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow.
"The doctor suggested one to two weeks of no-throw,” manager A.J. Hinch said on Friday. “While he can still do other things -- lifting, running and [fielding] stuff -- we'll limit the [throwing] while things calm down."
With Opening Day now just four weeks away and the Tigers proceeding cautiously with their young pitcher, the timetable is not in Melton’s favor to be ready for the start of the regular season on March 26 in San Diego.
“It’s unlikely that he’s going to be ready for the beginning of the season,” Hinch said. “We’ll know more, as we ramp him back up, what that exactly means.”
Melton has not pitched in a game this spring. He was throwing at the start of camp but reported soreness at one point, after which he was shut down from throwing and examined.
Melton spent most of the offseason poised to compete for a rotation spot after emerging as one of the Tigers’ key relievers and spot starters down the stretch last year. His potential role changed in the final days leading up to camp once Detroit signed veteran starters Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, essentially filling their rotation. The Tigers still planned on stretching out Melton as a starter this spring in case an injury within the rotation forced them to tap into their pitching depth. His path to Detroit’s Opening Day roster was as a reliever, barring injuries to other starters.
Assuming Melton’s arm responds well after the break from throwing, a delayed start to his season could help the Tigers monitor his workload. He threw a career-high 121 innings in the regular season last year, then added 8 1/3 innings in the postseason. That should leave room for Melton to pitch as a starter this season without innings restrictions, but a delayed start would erase any doubt. But again, he has to be healthy first.
Melton’s delay likely erases a multi-inning reliever from the Tigers’ bullpen picture. With Keider Montero, Brant Hurter and Brenan Hanifee back, plus Drew Anderson signed to a Major League contract and Bryan Sammons back in the organization, the Tigers have plenty of options.
Melton is optimistic he’ll be able to bounce back after a break.
"We’ll know more in a week or two, but honestly I’m not too concerned over anything too long-term,” Melton said Saturday morning. “Pretty positive for the time being. … I think there’s pretty good hope that I’ll be playing catch fairly soon here. Just let some things calm down and see where we’re at, and we’ll make a plan from there.”
Melton said he had a similar situation at San Diego State and ended up being fine after a break.
ABS trash talk
Jack Flaherty was already near the first-base line on his way back to the dugout after his final pitch in Friday afternoon's 16-8 Grapefruit League victory over the Phillies when he had to stop. Batter Dylan Campbell had challenged the called third strike.
After replay on the scoreboard showed the pitch well within the zone, Flaherty let Campbell know about it, chirping at him on his way back to the dugout.
“Obviously, you're trying to figure out the zone and whatnot, but I was pretty sure it was a stone-cold strike,” Flaherty said. “I would've said the same thing if it was one of our guys. There's no difference. You just mess around a little bit. It's not that serious.”
Campbell did not turn around, let alone respond, as he headed back to the dugout.
“I would’ve made fun of our own guys even more," Flaherty said. "Let’s figure it out: That ball is two balls in the zone, not even close.”
Flaherty, who finished with four strikeouts over two innings of one-hit, one-run ball, is supportive of the ABS Challenge System.
“It’ll be a work in progress,” Flaherty said. “Here, guys are going to be more willing to challenge stuff when the stakes aren’t as high, but the stakes are going to be a lot bigger. When you challenge stuff in the first inning, you kind of want to save them for later in the game or big spots in big situations. But each team’s going to be different. Obviously, it’s meant for the egregious ones.”
Flaherty said he trusts his catchers on challenges; Jake Rogers challenged a ball in the first inning that was confirmed.
“A.J. has joked around with us pitchers, but we haven’t fully dove into it,” Flaherty said.
McGonigle rakes
The Tigers picked up their first win of the Grapefruit League campaign on the strength of an 11-run sixth inning. Two of those runs came courtesy of Kevin McGonigle, who ripped a leadoff double down the right-field line at 107.7 mph and later came into score, then added an RBI single at 108.3 mph. He has hit four balls at 104.8 mph or harder this spring, including three for hits.
“I think it just comes out of just getting my 'A' swing off on any pitch in the heart of the zone,” McGonigle said. “Swinging pretty hard, still thinking bat-to-ball. That’s the adjustment I made from my first year in pro ball to now: Two strikes, don’t think slap, go up there and still swing the bat hard.”