BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Tigers have a history of bizarre but scary Spring Training injuries, from Mark Fidrych tearing cartilage in his knee while shagging fly balls in the outfield to Spencer Torkelson slicing open his right index finger while trying to open a can of beans without a can opener available. But with Jake Rogers, they hoped they had avoided a major injury out of a freak but scary incident in the batting cage.
Rogers was diagnosed with a mild concussion and required stitches to his face when he was struck by his own bat during batting drills in the cage, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Rogers was scratched from the travel roster for Wednesday’s game against the Pirates, but Hinch said the Tigers are hopeful the veteran backup catcher will be cleared in time for Opening Day.
Rogers was doing well on Wednesday, according to Hinch, but will be monitored by doctors over the next few days.
“It’s [a] mild [concussion], so we expect it to resolve itself before Opening Day,” Hinch said. “But it was a scary incident, a very unintended mishap in the cage that brought a lot of concern.”
Rogers has had a solid Spring Training after some offseason swing adjustments, batting 6-for-26 with two doubles and two RBIs in 13 Grapefruit League contests. He had a regular dose of playing time early in the spring while primary catcher Dillon Dingler was rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery on his elbow.
The Tigers don’t need to utilize the concussion injured list since they’re still in Spring Training, but could use it if he’s still sidelined when the season opens. Veteran backup Tomás Nido could back up Dingler, but he’s not on the 40-man roster. No. 25 prospect Eduardo Valencia is on the 40-man roster but has yet to make his MLB debut, though he spent the second half of last season at Triple-A Toledo.
No more Buccos for Mize
Casey Mize will be glad to see an opposing hitter in colors other than black and gold moving forward, but he considered his third consecutive start against the Pirates a step in the right direction while still leaving him with work to do before the season begins.
Statistically, Mize’s latest matchup with the Bucs was marginally better than his previous two, with three runs allowed on four hits over four innings. He walked three batters – two of them on four pitches – and hit another, in addition to two wild pitches.
Mize was lifted with two outs in the fourth inning following a mound visit from Dingler. But after Matt Seelinger entered to retire Bryan Reynolds, Mize returned for the fifth to fan Marcell Ozuna for his sixth strikeout of the night.
The progress was more in the pitches. Mize’s fastball was erratic at times but good when he located it, using it for six of his 11 called strikes. His fastball averaged 94 miles per hour over his first few innings before he steadily tired, finishing at 93.5. He allowed just two hard-hit balls, one of them a Tyler Callihan two-run homer off the four-seamer.
“Felt much better today, still erratic on a few at-bats,” said Mize, who’s working on some rotational adjustments. “Still not moving 100 percent the way I want, but better direction.”
Mize’s splitter continues to be the bright spot in his Spring Training. It accounted for six of his 11 whiffs on Wednesday.
Trei bien
Tigers No. 26 prospect Trei Cruz has been the beneficiary of playing time in Tigers camp, and got an extra start Wednesday with Rogers out. Dingler had been scheduled to start at DH, but moved behind the plate. Matt Vierling moved from center field to DH. Cruz not only filled the void in center, but he also accounted for two of Detroit’s five hits along with its lone run on a Riley Greene single.
Not only has the switch-hitting Cruz played in 17 of the Tigers’ 24 Grapefruit League games this spring, but he has played six different positions, including all three outfield spots, shortstop, third and second base. That versatility is a big reason he remains in big league camp, though he’s more likely for an in-season call-up than to make the Opening Day roster.