The Tigers are placing outfielder Riley Greene on the 10-day injured list with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Here’s what you need to know:
- Greene, 22, has been in the midst of a breakout season, hitting .296 with five home runs through 52 games. He leads Detroit in batting average and hits.
- Greene reported discomfort after the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers. The Tigers removed him shortly after he appeared to wince while catching a flyout in the third inning.
- In a separate move, the Tigers acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick in a trade with the White Sox on Tuesday.
Riley Greene is going on the 10-day IL with a stress fracture in his left fibula
MRI revealed the fracture last night. Tigers will have him seek a second opinion
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) May 31, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does this mean for the Tigers?
On the heels of the injury to Eduardo Rodriguez, Greene’s injury is another big blow to a team that has a 15-11 record in May. Greene has led much of the charge for the Tigers over the past month, hitting .365 with a .435 on-base percentage and 1.008 OPS since May 1. He has been playing at an All-Star level and showing continued signs of how high his ceiling could be and how important he will be to the Tigers for the next several years.
Now Greene will be out, likely for several weeks at the least, and a Tigers’ order that ranks 28th in OPS will go forward without its most valuable player. — Stavenhagen
How will Detroit fill Greene’s place field?
Detroit acquired Marisnick, an 11-year MLB veteran, from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. Even before Greene’s injury, Marisnick was expected to join the active roster in place of outfielder Matt Vierling, who is on the IL with back soreness. Marisnick, who has a .228/.281/.384 career slash line but was a member of manager A.J. Hinch’s Astros teams, was slated to start in center field Wednesday against the Rangers. The Tigers could also mix and match with existing players such as Akil Baddoo and Zack Short in center field.
“I think we have to admit that it’s really frustrating,” Hinch said. “It’s hard on a team. And at the same time, we have to collect ourselves and go out and figure out a different way.” — Stavenhagen
What happens from here?
Greene is expected to see a specialist in the coming days for a second opinion on his leg. Hinch did not want to speculate on a timetable for Greene’s recovery, but such an injury generally takes at least six weeks to heal.
“Obviously there’s gonna be a rest period and it’s gonna be at least 10 days,” Hinch said. “For me to speculate what that means is literally guessing.” — Stavenhagen
Backstory
The No. 5 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Greene made his debut with the Tigers in 2022, hitting .253 in 93 games.
Greene is the second player to be placed on the injured list for the Tigers this week. The team placed staff ace Rodriguez to the injured list Tuesday.
The Tigers, who haven’t had a winning season since 2016, are off to a 25-28 start. They sit in second place in the American League Central, two games behind the Twins.
Required reading
- Eduardo Rodriguez’s injury creates short- and long-term dilemmas for the Tigers
- A.J. Hinch is managing with confidence as the Tigers hang tight in the AL Central
(Photo: Mark Cunningham / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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