Tuesday morning, the Detroit Tigers unveiled a mixed bag of injury updates from spring training. There’s positive news concerning outfielder Riley Greene, who is progressing well from Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow and is set to face live pitching this week. However, pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long received disappointing news as he’s grappling with left groin discomfort stemming from a bullpen session last week, diagnosed as a groin strain.
Greene, 23, faced injury setbacks in 2023 but demonstrated strong performance when healthy, boasting a .288 batting average with 11 home runs, 37 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 99 games. Alongside Spencer Torkelson, he forms a promising young duo in the Tigers’ lineup under manager A.J. Hinch. Greene debuted in the majors in 2022, tallying a slash line of .271/.335/.739 with 16 home runs.
On the other hand, Gipson-Long, 26, a former sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2019, made his major league debut last season, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA across four games. His current injury setback complicates his bid for a spot in the starting rotation, as he contends with pitchers like Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, and Matt Manning.
The Tigers, aiming for significant improvement after finishing second in the American League Central in 2023, have bolstered their roster with additions like Flaherty, Maeda, and Mark Canha. They kick off their season on March 28 against the Chicago White Sox.
