The Detroit Tigers, who are closing in on their likely first American League Central title since 2014, suddenly have reason for concern.
Detroit (84-64), which will visit the Miami Marlins (69-79) on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of a weekend series, suffered a pair of injuries during an 8-2 loss in Friday’s opener.
Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Tarik Skubal left the game due to tightness on his left side, and shortstop Javier Baez fouled a ball off his face. He also left the game but is day-to-day after clearing concussion protocol.
Skubal will undergo testing, and the Tigers will turn to veteran right-hander Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.59 ERA) in an effort to get back on track on Saturday.
Morton, 41, has extensive experience against the Marlins, going 14-7 with a 4.05 ERA in 27 career starts.
Meanwhile, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch spoke Friday about center fielder Parker Meadows, who, in his third season in the majors, finally has played the equivalent of one full MLB season, reaching his 162nd game on Thursday. Injuries have limited his availability to the Tigers, but Hinch said he is happy to have him now, despite Meadows hitting just .222 in 44 games this season.
Meadows, 25, has a low chase rate, and Hinch uses him at the top and also at the bottom of his batting order.
“I love having him at the top, especially when he’s in the zone,” Hinch said. “I also like him at the bottom when he’s delivering punches. … His speed is back, and he’s bringing his full skill set to the table.”
As for the Marlins, who have won three games in a row, they will start right-hander Janson Junk (6-3, 4.48 ERA) on Saturday.
Ironically, the 29-year-old Junk was Skubal’s teammate at Seattle University. Skubal was selected by Detroit in the ninth round of the 2018 draft. Junk was picked by the Yankees in the 22nd round in 2017.
Junk, who has never faced the Tigers, is 0-1 with three no-decisions over his past four starts.
The Marlins have pitched well during their three-game winning streak, striking out 32 batters and giving up just five runs.
“That’s a key to success,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said. “But our group has shown resiliency all year. We’ve had stretches where we have been down, but we always seem to pull ourselves off the mat and continue to fight. Over the past four or five games, we’ve swung the bats well and strung some innings together, and that’s what it takes.”
One of the guys swinging a hot bat is Agustin Ramirez, who on Friday hit his 20th homer of the season — an impressive milestone for a rookie catcher.
Ramirez, 24, also is one homer away from tying J.T. Realmuto for Miami’s single-season record for a catcher of any age. Realmuto hit 21 in 2018.
“Gus has been incredible,” McCullough said of Ramirez. “The best part is that 20 homers might be his floor. There’s so much more in there for Gus.”
–Field Level Media
