Well it’s not a surprise, but it definitely is not the news we were hoping for. Reliever Kyle Finnegan has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 1, with a right adductor strain. Essentially this is a groin strain and while the Tigers didn’t report a grade for the strain, it’s mild enough that they expect him back in time to prepare for the postseason. That argues for something like a two to three week stay on the injured list.
For his part, Finnegan says he doesn’t think the injury is severe enough to cause him to miss the postseason. He’ll be eligible to return on September 16th. That’s probably too ambitious, as the Tigers have to be as sure as possible that there won’t be a flare up that could cost him postseason time. Hopefully, he can get back in time to get an appearance or two in during the regular season as a tune-up before the playoffs get underway. Winning a bye through the wild card round might prove extra important in his case to allow him time to work and get as dialed in as possible before the divisional round begins.
As a corresponding move, center fielder Parker Meadows was recalled from Triple-A Toledo. Meadows bat never got going after spending over three months on the injured list with a nerve injury in his right arm, and his work in a handful of games for the Mud Hens hasn’t been particularly great in the strikeout department. Still, a healthy Meadows is a real upgrade in run prevention for a Tigers team that is pretty average at best defensively other than at the catcher position.
Meadows did have six hits, including two doubles and a triple, along with five walks, over 28 plate appearances in his latest rehab assignment. However, he also struck out 12 times. In any case this is all too tiny a sample to tell us anything. All I can add is that he looked fast and healthy in the outfield and the injury appears fully resolved.
Finnegan’s emergence since coming over from the Nationals at the trade deadline has made him one of the best trades from the deadline period. The Tigers upped Finnegan’s splitter usage from 30 percent of pitches thrown, up to 51 percent. In that span his strikeout rate has gone from 20 percent up to 39 percent in Detroit. It also helps a lot that the Tigers are far better defensively than the Nationals, particularly at the catcher position.
The Tigers really need Finnegan back, but right now, it sounds like there’s plenty of optimism that he’ll be back before the regular season ends. In the meantime, they’ll have to continue ton try out other relief options. Keider Montero is up with the club due to Chris Paddack going on bereavement leave, and will pitch out of the pen sometime in the Chicago White Sox series this weekend. The Tigers will also have the option of optioning a position player for another arm until Paddack returns.