Tigers Catcher Reportedly Will Be Ready for Opening Day After Scary Concussion
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The Detroit Tigers are a week away from Opening Day and they are going to need all hands on deck in order for the season to go the way many hope it could.
A report which surfaced on Wednesday though brought some serious concern to the depth of the roster to start the year. Catcher Jake Rogers -- who is phenomenal defensively but largely been relegated to the backup role to the emergence of Dillon Dingler -- was concussed during a freak incident in the batting cage.
Rogers was struck by his own bat and sustained a mild concussion as well as receiving stitches. As concerning as this initially sounded though, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch expressed optimism that he should still be ready for Opening Day.
Rogers Should Still Be Ready for Tigers Opening Day
"[The concussion] is mild, so we expect it to resolve itself before Opening Day," Hinch said via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "But it was a scary incident and a very unintended mishap in the cage that brought a lot of concern...I know he's doing well today, which is a good sign. He's going to have to be in the hands of the doctors in the next few days to figure out exactly where we're at."
It sounds like it was a very scary situation when the incident occurred with Rogers -- who is one of the most popular players in the clubhouse -- but hearing Hinch speak like this is encouraging that the veteran should be just fine.
Having Rogers in the fold as Dingler's backup is a critical depth piece, playing in 46 games for Detroit last season and accounting for a 0.2 bWAR by playing elite defense while slashing just .187/.277/.333 with three home runs and 19 RBI.
Though he is not an offensive force, Rogers provides important defensive stability for the team.
Where Tigers Could Turn if Rogers is Not Ready
Detroit has a couple of other options for backup catcher if it turns out that Rogers needs some more time at the start of the season. Tomás Nido served as the third catcher last year and played in 10 games, performing at an admirable level and returned to the team on another minor league deal.
26-year-old minor leaguer Eduardo Valencia, who has slashed a very impressive .348/.385/.478 over 14 spring games and could be poised to make his big league debut this season after a very strong run in both Double-A and Triple-A last year.
While Rogers being injured is not ideal, catcher seems to be one position where the Tigers are well equipped to weather the storm.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.