DETROIT -- On Tuesday night, left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz was cruising through the second start of his career and -- as manager A.J. Hinch said afterwards -- perhaps the best game he had ever thrown in front of the club’s decision-makers.
“That’s the best we had ever seen him -- spring training, regular season, even on video in Triple-A,” Hinch said. “He was pretty dialed in.”
Then, after four nearly flawless innings, bad stuff happened.
His velocity dipped noticeably. He felt discomfort in his neck and a sensation in his shoulder. Hinch and head athletic trainer Doug Teter went out to check on him, and he quickly left the mound.
Instead of potentially getting another start in Detroit, Wentz is headed to the injured list.
Not only that, he’s headed to the minor-league injured list even though he suffered his injury in a big-league game.
Wentz was the designated 27th man for the doubleheader and, as such, had to be returned to Triple-A Toledo immediately after the game.
Hinch said Wentz would go through a “battery” of tests and meet with doctors to determine the course of action for what the team is currently calling a left shoulder strain.
If Wentz has to miss significant time, the difference between being on the big-league injured list and the minor-league injured list could mean tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary, not to mention lost days of big-league service time.
“It ruins a good night for him,” Hinch said Tuesday. “I feel bad for him, because he had settled in very nicely inside the strike zone, elevating fastball and throwing a couple pretty good sliders.”
Although the Tigers haven’t announced their starters beyond this series, it’s likely they will keep the same order heading into the weekend in the Bronx against the Yankees.
vs. Minnesota
Tonight: LHP Tarik Skubal
Thursday: RHP Alex Faedo
at New York
Friday: RHP Elvin Rodriguez
Saturday: RHP Beau Brieske
Sunday: RHP Rony Garcia
Veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, out for the last two weeks with a rib cage sprain, threw long toss in the Comerica Park outfield. He is expected to be on track to returning soon.
As of now, he would be most likely to bump Elvin Rodriguez or Rony Garcia.
Lefty Tyler Alexander is currently on rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo, but the current plan is to keep him in the bullpen rather than stretch him out as a starter. That serves as a vote of confidence for Faedo and Brieske, who are likely to stay in the rotation for the foreseeable future.
TIGERS’ 40-MAN ROSTER (40)
Left-handed pitchers (7): Tyler Alexander*, Andrew Chafin, Sam Howard, Eduardo Rodriguez*, Tarik Skubal, Gregory Soto, Joey Wentz.
Right-handed pitchers (15): Jacob Barnes, Beau Brieske, Drew Carlton, Angel De Jesus, Alex Faedo, Jason Foley, Michael Fulmer, Rony Garcia, Joe Jimenez, Alex Lange, Matt Manning*, Wily Peralta, Michael Pineda*, Elvin Rodriguez, Will Vest.
Catchers (2): Tucker Barnhart, Eric Haase.
Infielders (9): Javier Báez, Miguel Cabrera, Jeimer Candelario, Harold Castro, Kody Clemens, Brendon Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Zack Short, Spencer Torkelson.
Outfielders (7): Akil Baddoo, Daz Cameron, Willi Castro, Robbie Grossman*, Derek Hill, Austin Meadows*, Victor Reyes*.
* On the 10-day injured list.
Catcher Jake Rogers (right elbow sprain); and right-handed pitchers Jose Cisnero (right shoulder sprain), Kyle Funkhouser (right shoulder strain), Casey Mize (right elbow sprain) and Spencer Turnbull (right elbow sprain) are on the 60-day injured list, which removes them from the 40-man roster.
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