Detroit Tigers’ starter Ivan Nova is headed to the 10-day injured list with right triceps tendinitis, the team announced. Right-hander Anthony Castro has been recalled to fill the roster spot.
Nova, 29, was brought in this winter to provide a veteran and reliable presence in the rotation. The Tigers are flush with rotation prospects – Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, among them – but in the near-term, Detroit wanted to reliability to join with injury-bitten and/or inconsistent arms like Jordan Zimmermann, Daniel Norris, and Michael Fulmer. Nova is off to a rough start, going 1-1 with a 8.53 ERA/6.34 FIP through four starts.
It’s not yet clear who will step into Nova’s spot in the rotation. Dario Agrazal is not likely to be the guy, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. The Tigers aren’t likely to need to name a replacement until Tuesday or Wednesday’s game. Fans. and pundits alike will be hopeful that Mize gets the call here, but the Tigers have shown a reluctance to bring up their top rotation prospects.