The Detroit Tigers will be without one of their best players on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox.
Javier Baez, their star shortstop who signed a six-year, $140 million contract in the offseason, is dealing with a minor injury.
“News: Javier Báez dealing with right thumb soreness; he has been scratched from the #Tigers lineup today. @MLBNetwork @MLB,” reporter Jon Morosi tweeted on Wednesday.
News: Javier Báez dealing with right thumb soreness; he has been scratched from the #Tigers lineup today. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) April 13, 2022
Harold Castro took his place at shortstop and batted sixth versus Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
Thankfully, the ailment indeed sounds like a minor issue, but the Tigers should be careful nevertheless because there are ligaments in the thumb.
In any case, he should be back in the lineup in a day or two.
Baez has started his Tigers tenure with the right foot, hitting for a .316 average with one homer, one run scored, and four RBI.
A Solid Showing In The Early Going
His OPS stands at a solid .876.
Baez’s slash line is at .316/.350/.526 across 20 plate appearances so far in the young season.
Not only has his bat impressed in the early going, but he has also flashed his elite defense at shortstop, one of the attributes that make him such a valuable player.
Detroit spent some money over the offseason, bringing in Baez, pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, reliever Andrew Chafin, and other high-profile players.
After the step forward they took last season, they seem eager to fight for a postseason spot.
The problem is that the whole AL Central division got better too: the Chicago White Sox are championship contenders, and the Cleveland Guardians, the Kansas City Royals, the Minnesota Twins, and the Tigers themselves are all in a similar tier.
Perhaps a quality, proven player like Baez can end up being a deciding factor in a hypothetical postseason race.
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