After a Nightmare Week, the Tigers Get Set For a Crucial Stretch
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To say it's been a tough week in Motown would be a considerable understatement.
Since the beginning of the work week, the Detroit Tigers announced that ace Tarik Skubal would need elbow surgery, Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez was fired for a "violation of club policy," and star free agent acquisition Framber Valdez was suspended five games and chastised by manager A.J. Hinch for throwing at Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story.
All the while, the Tigers have stumbled to a 3-6 record in their past nine games as they await the returns of not just Skubal and Valdez, but also Casey Mize, Javier Báez, Gleyber Torres, Justin Verlander, Will Vest, and others. Things have even been bleak around the team, with the organization mourning the loss of longtime sports media personality Pat Caputo.
All, however, is not lost. Heck, there are even signs of optimism if you look closely enough.
Skubal had successful surgery and was given an "insanely optimistic" return timeline of 4-6 weeks. Meanwhile, Detroit sits a mere 1.5 games back in the American League Central despite all of their injuries and could get the likes of Mize, Báez, and Torres back shortly.
Tigers Have Make-Or-Break Stretch Ahead
The Tigers will need all the positive momentum they can get, with a critical set of games ahead of them on the schedule.
Tonight kicks off a six-game road swing for Detroit, opening with a three-game visit to take on the Kansas City Royals before heading to Queens for a three-game set with the New York Mets. The Royals currently sit just a game back in the tight AL Central, while the lowly 14-23 Mets continue to perform below expectations.
The two series offer an opportunity for the Tigers to collect some wins against sub-.500 opponents. However, they also need to turn things around on what has been an underwhelming 6-14 road record to date.
Once they return to the friendly confines of Comerica Park, Detroit will get set for a three-game border series against the Toronto Blue Jays and then a four-game divisional clash with the Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.
The Blue Jays are in a similar position to the Tigers as they endure injuries and underperformance to date. Plus, they should have plenty of support from fans coming across the border over what is a long weekend in Canada.
It remains to be seen how things stand at that point, but it's fair to assume that Detroit's battle with the Guardians will still carry major divisional implications.
At the moment, a red-hot Cleveland team has overtaken the Tigers for the division lead, but things could look very different once their May 18 series opener rolls around.
With Detroit's week of woeful headlines (hopefully) behind them, there is no time to bemoan their fate. They remain firmly in the mix in the AL Central and can use this pretty important mid-May stretch to better position themselves as some of their key players return to the fold.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.