Tampa, Fla. — What do you do?
What can you do if you’re a big-league manager in 2022 — say, a guy who skippers the Tigers named AJ Hinch?
Now it is Jose Cisnero, who was so vital to last season’s Tigers back end, who looks as if he won’t be traveling north with the Tigers ahead of Friday’s season-opener against the White Sox at Comerica Park.
“We are concerned,” Hinch said Tuesday after the Tigers had popped the Yankees, 5-3, at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “He reported some soreness after his last outing.”
Hinch and Tigers general manager Al Avila have been mulling how to configure a 28-man roster with enough able bodies to supply position and pitching sides.
But even finding 14 serviceable arms — let alone the 15 Hinch probably prefers — is turning into a tussle.
What is known is that some pitchers who were jump-balls only a few days ago now are safe.
Drew Hutchison, Jacob Barnes, Will Vest — all are headed for Wednesday night’s flight to Detroit. So, also, is Jason Foley, and so, likely, is Rony Garcia, who had a nasty eighth inning Tuesday against the Yankees but probably survives because of Cisnero’s issues.
Another likely addition, a true surprise, is right-handed starter Elvin Rodriguez, who last week turned 24 and who was headed for Triple A — until pitchers began falling or were delayed by visa issues.
Hinch said Tuesday that of the big-league cohorts he had spoken with in recent days, all are worried about April. All wonder how they can stitch together enough respectable pitching to make it through nine or more innings.
“They’re all concerned,” Hinch said Tuesday.
The Tigers’ issues began when Kyle Funkhouser was lost to a lat strain. Later, their new left-handed, back-end sentry, Andrew Chafin, developed groin problems.
Michael Fulmer’s velocity has been down. And he’s anything but an exception.
MLB teams were told to fit six weeks of work into a four-week spring camp jammed up by a three-month labor lockout. Pitchers always were destined to pay the heaviest price for this chopped-down schedule. Arms need time to stretch and extend and become fortified for a six-month season.
It isn’t working. And the Tigers are perhaps a poster-team for how gruesome April could be, especially for bullpens that already are withering from injuries and spring camp’s condensed stresses.
All isn’t lost
Apart from a ragged eighth inning from Garcia (two hits, two runs, one walk, a hit batter), Tigers relievers were fine as both teams finished their Florida schedules.
Barnes, a right-hander who has qualified for that flight to Detroit, polished off the two batters he faced. Fulmer, other than a leadoff single, was fine as he struck out two in a clean inning, as did Vest.
Finishing off the Yankees was 5-foot-8, right-handed pitbull Aaron Haase, who last July was the Tigers’ 17th-round pick from Wichita State. He allowed a hit and a walk, but also had a strikeout in a scoreless ninth.
Considering the strains on arms and staffs in 2022, Haase might want to think of Tuesday’s cameo as a potential job interview.
No issues for Manning
He didn’t dominate. He wasn’t blowing away hitters. He wasn’t carving up home plate’s black outlines.
Matt Manning was adequate Tuesday: 4⅓ innings, five hits, two walks, two strikeouts, 73 pitches (42 strikes).
“I was able to get my rhythm going the second half of the order,” said Manning, whose fastball was clipping along at 94 and who, in his view, had a reasonably satisfying stream of back-up pitches going: slider, change, and a curveball.
“I feel good. My curveball was getting a lot of good reaction from hitters.”
His main self-criticism Tuesday? It’s an old one: Manning wants to put away batters more cleanly once he gets two strikes.
Hinch was mostly fine with Manning’s work Tuesday — apart from Manning getting a bit behind in the count in the games early going. Then again, Hinch is pleased overall with his rotation.
“I’m very happy with our starters,” the skipper said, explaining that the fact most had reached or surpassed 75 pitches in a start was a true triumph as the team heads north.
Spring swinging
Miguel Cabrera was 3-for-3 in Tuesday’s game, which included a 413-foot homer to left-center.
“He took some really good swings,” Hinch said, noting that Cabrera, who is 13 hits from 3,000, knows how to build momentum during his Grapefruit League tune-ups.
Akil Baddoo smoked his fourth home run of the year, a bullet (108.6 exit velocity) over the right-field fence.
Jeimer Candelario tossed in a pair of singles.
Tigers tie up Turnbull
On a day when the Tigers were making bigger noise (their trade for outfielder Austin Meadows), they also revealed contract news.
Spencer Turnbull, the power-throwing right-handed starter who is mending from Tommy John surgery, has signed a two-year deal with the Tigers that avoids any further arbitration risks until 2024.
Turnbull and the Tigers had been dueling over different money demands for 2022. Turnbull had sought $2.1 million while the club had countered with $1.325 million. The deal just finalized will pay Turnbull a salary of $1.5 million this season, with $2.15 million coming his way in 2023.
Turnbull, who turns 30 in September, threw a no-hitter last spring against the Mariners. But arm issues arrived, and he had reconstructive surgery in July. He’s expected to miss the 2022 season.
Turnbull can become a free agent following the 2024 season.
Lynn Henning is a retired Detroit News sportswriter and a freelance writer.