The Detroit Tigers had what can best be described as a magical season in 2024, ending a nine-year string of missed postseasons and seeing 28-year-old lefty Tarik Skubal become only the fifth American League Cy Young Award winner in franchise history, and first since Max Scherzer won the award while he was still pitching for Detroit in 2013. Justin Verlander (2011), Willie Hernandez (1984) and Denny McLain (1968 and 1969) were the other three Tigers to win the pitching honor.
The good news for the Tigers is that Skubal, at least in Spring Training, appears to be picking up where he left off after his breakthrough, award-winning season. In 19 1/3 spring innings, the ace southpaw posted a 2.33 ERA â roughly the same as his league-leading 2.39 in 2024 â and struck out 24 while allowing only one walk.
But the Tigers are dealing with bad news as well, after wrapping up their Grapefruit League schedule on Sunday and heading to San Francisco for two exhibition games against the Giants before opening the 2025 season on the road at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Free Agent Pitcher Finally Back on Mound
Two outfielders who played key roles in helping the Tigers to 86 wins and an AL Wild Card berth last year remain injured, and neither is expected to be ready for Opening Day Thursday â and in fact could be sidelined much longer than that.
In addition, the Tigers $15 million free agent offseason signing Alex Cobb, a 37-year-old righty, arrived at Spring Training camp with “hip inflammation,” and did not throw baseball until March 15, when he threw a bullpen session, with another one four days later. But the 13-year veteran still has no timetable for when he may throw in an actual Tigers game.
After two seasons in San Francisco, Cobb was limited to just three starts in 2024 for the Cleveland Guardians as he recovered from surgery his hip in 2023 â and was hit with five other injuries as well: elbow tightness, shoulder discomfort, broken fingernail, blood blister in his finger and, finally, a strained lower back.
Nonetheless, Cobb was able to make two postseason starts for Cleveland, allowing five runs on eight hits in a total of 5 2/3 innings.
As for the Tigers’ two ailing outfielders, neither yet has a return date. One is Parker Meadows, a 25-year-old third-year left-handed hitter who was a Tigers second-round draft pick for Detroit in 2018.
Meadows, Vierling Remain Sidelined Indefinitely
In the Tigers first spring game, against the Philadelphia Phillies back on February 22, Meadows injured a nerve in his right shoulder, which is his throwing shoulder. On Saturday, results came in from the latest tests on Meadows’ shoulder showing no damage to the nerve, but “it’s also not firing at the level that we need to advance,” according to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.
As a result, Meadows is shut down from throwing for at least four more weeks â but he will be allowed to take part in fielding drills, base running and even some hitting, according to a report by Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press.
Matt Vierling, a fifth-year outfielder who can also play third base, also suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the spring and will miss Opening Day. But the news on Vierling is somewhat more upbeat than with Meadows. On Friday, the team said that Vierling “has been cleared to advance his shoulder strengthening exercises in his rehab program, plus he initiated a hitting progression,” according to a report by Evan Petzold of the Free Press.
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