Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers news, rumors and injuriesTigers | Joe Nathan feels good about arm slot Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:34:38 -0800 Detroit Tigers RP Joe Nathan lowered him arm slot in the second half of last season. He dropped his ERA from 6.37 in April, May and June to 3.18 in July, August and September. Nathan has worked on the lower arm-slot delivery all winter, and he says,"it's allowed me to come into camp more comfortable in that slot." In addition to being comfortable with his delivery, Nathan reports his offseason work with a personal trainer has "changed my body composition a lot." Tigers manager Brad Ausmus says he's convinced Nathan's troubles last year were "more of an aberration and less about the aging process." Fantasy Tip: Nathan's leash will be shorter as the Tigers closer with the presence of former Royals and Rangers closer Joakim Soria in the bullpen. That said, Nathan's role as the closer keeps him in the lower-tier among saves options entering this season. Gamers that draft Nathan would be wise to keep an eye on his spring results with his lower arm slot and new diet, and selecting Soria as a handcuff might be worthwhile as well. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Justin Verlander feels stronger Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:51:55 -0800 Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander (abdomen) underwent surgery on both sides of his groin and abdomen prior to last season, and he told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark he's loosening up quicker this year than last. "The other day," Verlander stated, "I threw like 50 pitches in the bullpen, and sat down and cooled off. And after 15 minutes, it felt like I could throw again, and I could get loose pretty quick, whereas last year, I mean, every inning was a grind, trying to just get my arm working again. You know, it would take me 10 pitches into the inning to feel like I was loose. Which isn't fun." Verlander's body healed properly from the procedure last year, but he was too stiff to rotate his core and hips. Fantasy Tip: Verlander had a down year in 2014 after delivering ace production for most of his career. His added weight, 28 pounds according to Verlander, has been a subject of discussion lately. His weight gain, coupled with news he's feeling healthier this offseason, will likely provide drafters optimism to gamble on in the middle rounds for a rebound. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Joba Chamberlain signs Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:45:19 -0800 Free-agent RP Joba Chamberlain (Tigers) has re-signed with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year contract. He will receive a $1 million base salary plus a $100,000 incentive for reaching 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 plate appearances. RP Chad Smith was designated for assignment to make room on the roster. Fantasy Tip: Chamberlain carries middling fantasy value under his current situation unless Joe Nathan and Joakim Soria both go down with injuries and are ineffective once again. Still, keep an eye on Chamberlain for deeper league formats. Comment () | Share: Tigers | No pain for Miguel Cabrera Mon, 23 Feb 2015 14:06:30 -0800 Detroit Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera (ankle, foot) arrived at training camp Monday, Feb. 23, and said he felt no pain and there were no issues with his right foot. He will begin running on an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill sometime this week, and he wants to be ready for opening day. Fantasy Tip: It is unlikely Cabrera misses enough time to significantly hinder his year-end numbers, and he might not miss time at all. He is still an elite hitter, and he should be considered a first-round pick in fantasy drafts. Keep checking back for updates on his progress leading into the season, but it currently appears he'll miss minimal time, if any. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Miguel Cabrera unsure of availability Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:52:13 -0800 Detroit Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera (ankle, foot) is unsure if he'll be ready for opening day. "I think it's too early to say that so we'll see what happens," Cabrera said. Fantasy Tip: With uncertainty surrounding Cabrera, he has fallen to the end of the first round in fantasy baseball drafts. If he doesn't have any setbacks for the rest of spring, there's a great chance that he'll be ready sometime in April, though. However, Cabrera's injuries leave many wondering if his decline is coming. Comment () | Share: Tigers | David Price may negotiate during season Sun, 22 Feb 2015 09:04:06 -0800 Detroit Tigers SP David Price said he is open to negotiating a contract extension after opening day but would want the talks to slow down at that point. Fantasy Tip: Price will be a free agent after the season, so the Tigers will try to sign him to a long-term deal. Price pitched well last season and has struck out at least 200 batters in three of the last six seasons. Price probably will be selected in one of the early rounds of drafts this year. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Miguel Cabrera hitting without pain Sun, 22 Feb 2015 08:58:03 -0800 Detroit Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera (ankle, foot) has been hitting and is not dealing with any pain, according to manager Brad Ausmus. Fantasy Tip: It appears Cabrera is making progress, but it is still not known if he will be ready for the start of the regular season. Cabrera should still be selected at some point in the first round of most drafts even though he could miss time early. Comment () | Share: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 11:37:24 -0800 The Detroit Tigers have signed free-agent OF Casper Wells (Cubs) to a minor league contract. He will report to minor league camp March 15. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Alex Avila using new mask, crouch Fri, 20 Feb 2015 15:02:34 -0800 Detroit Tigers C Alex Avila is using a new hockey-styled catching mask this spring in order to reduce his susceptibility to concussions. Also, the team is having him sit lower behind the plate to reduce the likelihood of foul tips hitting him directly in the head. Avila said he's officially had three diagnosed concussions in six seasons. He said he'll only use the new crouch in non-two strike counts with nobody on base this year. Fantasy Tip: Along with a receding batting average the last several years, health has been another big issue for Avila down the stretch. Don't hold your breath for double-digit homers again, and he won't drive in many runs, either. That makes Avila, at best, a second catcher in two-catcher formats. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Victor Martinez opening day outlook Thu, 19 Feb 2015 16:41:52 -0800 Detroit Tigers DH Victor Martinez (knee) is making such progress following knee surgery that Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski predicted confidently Martinez will be ready by opening day. Fantasy Tip: Even if Martinez missed the high end of his projected four- to six-week recovery timetable by doctors from surgery Feb. 10, he'd still be ready by opening day. That said, an earlier return would provide Martinez more spring training at-bats to shake off the rust and hit the ground running when games count in April. Monitor Martinez's recovery since a return later in the spring would warrant moving him down draft boards. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Detroit worried about Jose Iglesias Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:40:15 -0800 Detroit Tigers SS Jose Iglesias (shins) is a question mark this year while he deals with injured shin. Manager Brad Ausmus admitted that he's concerned about Iglesias and how his shins will hold up to playing the shortstop position. Fantasy Tip: Iglesias is a glove-first player that doesn't offer fantasy baseball teams much with his stick. For that reason alone, he's more of a commodity in AL-only leagues, but his injury makes him a big risk even in those formats. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Detroit's leadoff options Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:27:23 -0800 Detroit Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler is expected to bat leadoff this year against right-handed pitchers, with OF Rajai Davis in the leadoff spot against lefties. Fantasy Tip: Kinsler is no longer an option in the first couple of rounds of fantasy drafts, but he remains a very consistent top-level option at the keystone. Davis is a late-round target for stolen bases, but be aware that he is likely to lose some playing time to Anthony Gose eventually. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Alex Avila could play some 1B Thu, 19 Feb 2015 09:50:14 -0800 Detroit Tigers C Alex Avila could see some time at first base this spring to provide the club with other options if 1B Miguel Cabrera (ankle, foot) and DH Victor Martinez (knee) aren't ready for the start of the season, according to manager Brad Ausmus. Fantasy Tip: Avila, who has been beat up behind the plate down the stretch in recent seasons, would benefit from some time at first base, but it's unclear how much he'd actually play there. His average dip the past two seasons is a big concern for fantasy owners, which makes him no more than a second catcher in two-catcher formats. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Justin Verlander's curve breaking sharper Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:09:54 -0800 Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander said his curve ball has a sharper break this spring than last season. Verlander noted it was a problem last season and left him vulnerable to right-handed batters. Fantasy Tip: In 2011 and 2012, Verlander's curveball was 11.2 and 11.4 runs above average, respectively. Last year, his curve dropped all the way down to -11.7 runs above average, according to FanGraphs.com. Clearly, the pitch lost a lot of effectiveness for Verlander and improving it stands to aid his resurgence back to being a reliable fantasy arm in 2015. It is a story line worth monitoring this spring, especially once Verlander begins facing batters. Comment () | Share: Tigers | Justin Verlander motivated Wed, 18 Feb 2015 13:58:17 -0800 Updating a previous report, Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander arrived at spring training with a chip on his shoulder and 25 pounds heavier. "I'm not going to judge changing my entire career based on an injury that plagued me last year. I don't think that's the right way to approach things." Fantasy Tip: Verlander will be a popular rebound target in the middle rounds on draft day. While a return to the elite tier is unlikely, there is plenty of profit potential in Verlander's fantasy stock, especially at his current perceived value. Comment () | Share:  |
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