Tigers Fister Lands On 15-Day DL; Who Fills His Spot?

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

Doug Fister, perhaps the biggest acquisition the Detroit Tigers in years, stood on the mound in front of the first sell-out crowd for Game 2 in Tigers history and after allowing just three hits in 3.2 innings, something didn't feel right. In the middle of an at-bat by Boston's Ryan Sweeney, Fister seemed to languish after a pitch, Tigers catcher Alex Avila noticed and immediately signaled to the dugout that something was wrong.

Avila, Tigers trainer Kevin Rand and Manager Jim Leyland jogged out to the mound to check on their pitcher. Fister motioned to his left side, right around the rib cage area, and indicated that it was sore and tense. With it being early in the season Leyland and Rand made the decision to take Fister out of the game for precautionary reasons.

While not much was known at the time, when Detroit placed Fister on the 15-day disabled list they indicated that he had suffered a left costochondral strain. For the non-doctors, that means that he strained his left side. In an interview Leyland did not indicate that the injury was anything more than a side strain, which eased the worries of Tigers fans who were fearing an oblique injury.

However, Leyland did indicate that he now has "no clue" what he's going to do with his rotation. Tigers ace Justin Verlander is set at No. 1, but now there is a hole at No. 2 and the pitcher that filled that role last season, Max Scherzer, had a less than impressive outing on Sunday afternoon.

Detroit has Rick Porcello in the rotation but he is their No. 4 at the moment and rookie Drew Smyly, after being named the No. 5 starter had a rocky start in Toledo in a game to keep him loose. The injury isn't one that would require the Tigers to make any moves with any other teams, but Leyland will have to look into his stable of young pitchers that missed out on the rotation in Spring Training to find a temporary stent.

With the off day the Tigers had on Monday Leyland made the drive to Toledo to catch a start by potential stop-gap Casey Crosby. Crosby didn't impress a whole lot, he pitched ok, but the MudHens defense didn't help him out very much either. According to The Detroit News' Tony Paul, who attended the game, Crosby's off-speed stuff looked good and his fastball touched 94, but he allowed Louisville some good swings too. He lasted 4+ innings while throwing 77 pitches and allowing six runs on five hits.

Detroit won't have to solve the pitching problem right away, as the probable pitchers for their upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays are Porcello, Verlander and Smyly. At that point Scherzer could start on normal rest on Friday, but then the Tigers would be back in the same situation looking for a starter for Saturday in Chicago.

A Saturday game would put Crosby on normal rest, but after his first Triple-A outing turning out the way it did, he is unlikely to have his phone ringing. Another possible candidate is Andy Oliver, who impressed through much of the spring before falling apart in his last start. He didn't fair too much better when he started for the Mud Hens on Sunday. Oliver struggled with control, walking five batters in just 3.2 innings.

Duane Below was in the final pairing for the No. 5 spot with Smyly, just missing the job heading into the season. He has since returned to the team to come out of the bullpen, looking good so far with two wins on the season. However, Leyland has said that he likes to have three lefties in the bullpen so he has more options during the game - Below's success in the pen could keep him there.

Odds are best on Adam Wilk to be tapped for the role, another lefty he was an outside candidate for the No. 5 spot during the spring. In his first start with Toledo he went five innings while giving up just one hit and fanning six while getting the win.

Drew Smyly Wins No. 5 Spot on Tigers

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

It's official, Drew Smyly has been named the Detroit Tigers No. 5 starter. He had been battling Duane Below for the final spot in the Tigers rotation, but after a poor final showing by Below he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo.

Below had also been in the running for the final bullpen position along with Brayan Villarreal, both players missed out on a trip to the bigs and will be starting the season with the Mudhens in Toledo.

Smyly will make his first career major league start on April 12 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. In his 12.2 innings of work Smyly posted a 2.84 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP during the spring. He struck out 10 batters and held opponents to a .167 BA.

The final bullpen spot has been given to Luis Marte who has had an excellent spring. Marte, who tossed 13 innings this spring, earned two wins with a 2.00 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP. He fanned 16 batters while walking just three.

We called Smyly being named the No. 5 starter back in February, when we wrote this article on him.

Only Smyly and Below Remain In Hunt for No. 5 Starter Spot

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier
 
And then there were two. The Tigers optioned Andy Oliver to the minors after he struggled in his last couple of outings with the club. During his 15.2 innings of work for the Tigers this spring Oliver posted a 5.17 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.

While he was holding opposing batters to a .193 batting average he struggled with control on the mound, he walked 10 batters and gave up 10 runs. Oliver had been in the lead for contention for the No. 5 spot in the Tigers rotation but his last few outings were not his best and Manager Jim Leyland thought it would do him better to start the year in the minors - that just leaves Duane Below and Drew Smyly.

It appears that Detroit's No. 5 pitcher will be a lefty as both Below and Smyly are south paws, but which one could end up wearing the Olde English "D" and which one will end up donning a Mudhens uniform this April is what everyone is wondering.

Below made a few spot starts for the Tigers last year and spent time in the bullpen, but this spring he has shown that he has the stuff to be a big league starter. He has spent 12.1 innings on the mound this spring and in his time he has posted a 4.38 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP. Both numbers are a tad high but his K/BB ratio is recent at 8/6.

Smyly was the dark horse candidate to win the spot at the beginning of the spring, and he has only improved his numbers since. With a 2.87 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 12.2 innings Smyly is showing that he is the only real choice for the Tigers. His command is evident as he has fanned 10 batters while only walking five.

The rotation needs depth and either of these lefties would do well in the No. 5 spot, but looking at the numbers the job should go to Drew Smyly. With Smyly in the rotation Below should be in the running for the last spot in the bullpen.

Detroit can't really go wrong with either choice and they are in a position that most teams would envy, trying to figure out who will be their last starter while choosing from a crop of talented young pitchers. Things will shake out quickly this week, look for Smyly to get the ball going into the season.

Oliver Is Odds-On Favorite For No. 5 Spot

 

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Coming into spring training the Tigers had five different candidates to evaluate for the No. 5 spot in their starting pitching rotation; left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver, LHP Duane Below, LHP Drew Smyly, LHP Casey Crosby and RHP Jacob Turner. Most teams across the league would love to be in the Tigers situation, having nothing else to worry about on their roster other than which young talented pitcher will be the No. 5 pitcher.

At the beginning of spring it was anyone's guess as to which pitcher would be tapped to be the No. 5 or if Detroit would simply just go out and trade for a veteran. Turner's name popped up early, he faired well in his few spot starts in the majors last season but so far this spring he hasn't done as well. In his four innings pitched he has a 3.00 WHIP and an 11.25 ERA. His six walks of the spring are an indication that he doesn't have as good of control as he did last season and will most likely begin the season in Toledo.

Drew Smyly was the next "probable" No. 5 - he was a lefty, he had solid stuff and General Manager Dave Dombrowski has an affinity for promoting players to the majors from Double-A. Smyly has struggled to get innings this spring, having appeared in just two games and started only one. However, he has still gathered four inning of work and in that time posted a 1.25 WHIP, slightly higher than one would like, and a 2.25 ERA. With a 1/3 BB/K rate Smyly could still be a dark horse for the No. 5 spot, but more likely than not he will be bumped from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo after the spring.

The player who has stood out the most this spring has been Andy Oliver. Oliver has had time in the majors before but has never been able to make it stick, but that may be changing this spring in Lakeland, Fla. Despite having not yet started a game this spring, Oliver has amassed seven innings of work and recorded a 0.57 WHIP and a perfect 0.00 ERA. He has shown that he has control of his pitches having walked three batters and fanned five. His GO/AO, ground outs/air outs, is 0.88 which is an indication that he has his pitches biting and is getting opponents to hit ground balls to the infielders.

Manager Jim Leyland said that the control that Oliver has demonstrated so far this spring is more impressive than what he showed in the majors in the past. Leyland said Oliver was "getting better. No question."

Drew Smyly Is the Right Candidate for the No. 5 Spot

After acquiring Prince Fielder, the Tigers still had questions heading into the season, but they were questions that the other 29 teams would love to have. The main question was who would take the mound every fifth day - when your team is concerned about their fifth starter, there are good things happening.

Many names have been bandied about from Jacob Turner to Duane Below, but the name that has started to gain some traction, and for good reason, is Drew Smyly. Smyly, 22, was a second round pick of the Tigers in the 2010 Draft and has spent his time in Lakeland and Erie.

Smyly stands 6'3" and weighs in at 190 lbs., but one of the most important features that Smyly has is that he is a southpaw. Detroit has solid pitching in the rotation already, but it is all right-handed, meaning that the ideal candidate for the No. 5 spot is a lefty.

Not only is Smyly a lefty, but he is a very good lefty. While in Lakeland, Smyly posted numbers that are quite impressive - a 7-3 record with a 2.58 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP which is bolstered by a 8.6 K/9. While those numbers are impressive, any MLB general manager will tell you that Double-A ball is the toughest stop in the minors and Smyly has proved that he can dominate the competition in Erie.

In the final seven starts of his season, Smyly suited up for the Erie SeaWolves and posted a 4-3 record and an outstanding 1.18 ERA and a 1.029 WHIP, he even increased his K/9 to 10.4. Frequently pitchers struggle when they move from high Single-A ball to Double-A, but Smyly did just the opposite, he got better.

Tigers stud prospect Turner proved his worth in Double-A and received several spot starts with the big league team in 2011, proving that General Manager Dave Dombrowski has no problem bringing Double-A pitchers to the majors. And with the potential that Smyly is showing in the minors and in Spring Training, there is no question that he needs to be wearing the Olde English "D."

While his numbers are impressive and he very well could be the No. 5 starter this season, many Tigers fans don't know who Smyly is, and as such he is very accessible at Spring Training. And like any good athlete he makes time for the loyal Tigers fans who have done their homework and know who he is.

Check out Smyly at Spring Training in this video provided by Steve St. Germain.

Tigers top five prospects for 2012

Tigers 3B prospect Nick Castellanos will soon be a stalwart in the Detroit lineup

At one time the farm system of the Detroit Tigers resembled the system that the Kansas City Royals enjoy today, but through multiple trades - both good and bad, the Tigers farm system no longer has the same luster it once did.

However, the future is not entirely bleak, there are many bright spots on the farm for the Tigers including Jacob Turner, Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly.

A majority of the stock the Tigers enjoy in the minors are pitchers but Detroit is flush with talent across the diamond as well; the five best of those prospects are listed below.

1. RHP Jacob Turner, 20
A first round pick in 2009 Turner has been a prized commodity in the Tigers farm system for years and has even cracked the big league roster - making three spot starts in 2011. In his three starts with the Tigers Turner has a 0-1 record and an inflated 8.53 ERA. His WHIP is in good shape through his time with Detroit at 1.65. Despite his praise and potential his name has been mentioned in trade talks - should he remain with Detroit in 2012 expect him to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

2. 3B Nick Castellanos, 19
He is the real deal. Tigers fans may agree to another season or two with Brandon Inge struggling his way to retirement just so that they can see Castellanos play. In his first full season in the minors he has proved to be everything that the Tigers wanted in him. He exhibits power to all fields and is an exceptional fielder at third, I stop short of calling him a "five-tools player" after seeing Moneyball. After a full 142 game minor league season Castellanos' BA is .313, hitting 7 HR and 76 RBI. An OBP of .367 shows that he is capable of getting on base consistently.

3. LHP Drew Smyly, 22
Smyly was also mentioned in the possible trade for Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland Athletics. In that trade A's General Manager Billy Beane wanted Turner, Castellanos and Smyly in return for Gonzalez. In 22 minor league starts last season, across high A ball and into AA Erie Smyly posted a 11-6 record with a 2.07 ERA, a 1.103 WHIP and 9.3 SO/9. If he continues on this path Smyly will find himself with a spot on the roster very soon.

4. LHP Casey Crosby, 23
He struggled with control throughout the 2011 season posting a 4.10 ERA for a career ERA of 3.55 and a 19-12 record. Crosby has shown, when healthy, that he is capable of being dominant, having a WHIP of 1.37 and a 1.89 SO/9. In the past he has had Tommy John surgery but like many pitchers has come back stronger than he was previously - expect to hear his name quite a bit in 2012.

5. C Rob Brantly, 22
Drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft Brantly is one of several impressive catching prospects the Tigers find themselves flush with. He has shown that he is capable with the bat and has shown that he has the ability to play effectively behind the plate. In his two years in the minors Brantly has posted a .988 fielding percentage and has caught 32 percent of runners attempting to steal off him. Offensively, Brantly is hitting .269 with a .333 OBP between Lakeland and West Michigan. With Gerald Laird only being signed through the 2012 season expect for Brantly to take over the back-up duties in 2013.