CINCINNATI -- What was already a rough Tuesday night for the Tigers added injury to insult. X-rays taken after the club's 9-5 loss to the Reds revealed a broken nose for reliever Drew VerHagen, who left the game in the seventh inning after a throw deflected off his face while he was covering first base. VerHagen is likely to go on the DL due to the injury.
"When [the trainer] put the towel up, I felt it kind of crunch," VerHagen said.
VerHagen, who entered in relief an inning earlier and grounded out in his first big league at-bat, was trying to erase Billy Hamilton's one-out single with a double play. VerHagen raced to cover the bag as first baseman John Hicks fielded Jose Peraza's grounder and fired to second. Shortstop Jose Iglesias' throw was on target, but VerHagen lost sight of it and took it off his face.
"I broke a little late getting over there," VerHagen said. "Just trying to find the bag and catch the ball at the same time, it just got me. It squared me up."
VerHagen was bleeding as head athletic trainer Doug Teter tended to the right-hander and escorted him back to the visitors' clubhouse. Buck Farmer replaced VerHagen on the mound.
VerHagen has been a spot starter and long reliever since rejoining the Tigers earlier this month. The Tigers have absorbed their share of pitching injuries this season, especially in their rotation.