Tigers top prospect Riley Greene has suffered a fractured right foot and will not be ready for Opening Day. The injury, which Greene suffered on Friday after fouling a ball off his foot, will not require surgery, according to manager A.J. Hinch. Greene's timeline for a return is uncertain, but Hinch said he'll be re-evaluated in a few weeks.
Our own R.J. Anderson recently ranked the 21-year-old outfielder as the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball. Here's his write-up:
Greene, the fifth pick in the 2019 draft, split his first full professional season between Double- and Triple-A, hitting .301/.387/.534 with 24 home runs, 33 troubles (triples plus doubles), and 16 stolen bases on 17 tries. He celebrated his 21st birthday in September. Predictably, Greene is considered to be an intelligent, polished hitter who should fit in near the top of Detroit's lineup at some point early in the season. The big question is where he'll play defensively. The Tigers have primarily played him in center so far, and it's possible that's where he begins his big-league career before eventually sliding to a corner (he has enough of an arm for right if so desired).
Riley had been in line to be Detroit's Opening Day center fielder. With his injury, however, the job will likely fall to Victor Reyes. The 27-year-old Reyes, a switch-hitter, has a career slash line of .268/.296/.385 (84 OPS+) across parts of four big-league seasons, all with the Tigers.
The loss of Greene to start the season is indeed a blow for the Tigers, who, after a fairly active winter in which they complemented the young core already in place, have designs on contention in the AL Central.