Detroit Tigers outfielder Victor Reyes returned to Comerica Park on Saturday for the first time since May 15, when he suffered his second injury of the season virtually immediately after returning from his first injury.
The 27-year-old was placed on the injured list April 22 with a left quad strain, then returned to the lineup May 15 and played 1½ innings before departing with a right quad strain, which sent him onto the injured list again May 16.
“It’s just bad luck,” Reyes said Saturday.
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As Reyes completed his rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers needed an outfielder Saturday. Robbie Grossman fouled a ball off his right knee Friday night, and although he will avoid a stint on the injured list, the Tigers held him out of the lineup.
That opened the door for Reyes’ return.
“The main thing I had to do was rehab and get strength in my legs, and not just one, but two legs because it was the same injury,” Reyes said, with Tigers bilingual media coordinator Carlos Guillen interpreting. “I had to strengthen both legs, so that was the main core of my rehab.”
Spanning two rehab assignments, Reyes has played eight games for Triple-A Toledo this season. For the Mud Hens, he hit .333 with three home runs, four walks and two strikeouts, including a solo home run Thursday.
“I had to work hard so I could be back,” Reyes said.
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Reyes started in center field and hit leadoff Saturday.
When healthy, Reyes has shown he can be a productive member of the Tigers. He plays all three outfield positions and is hitting .292 with two walks and four strikeouts in 11 games.
“Regardless that I was doing rehab, I kept doing my job,” Reyes said. “I was hitting. I had just a couple games on rehab down there in Toledo, but I was working on my offense regardless that I was having some therapy down there.”
A step back for Cisnero
Right-handed reliever Jose Cisnero wanted more velocity in spring training.
So, he tried to increase his pitch speed April 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida.
“I felt some pinch or some sting right on my shoulder, specifically on the lat,” Cisnero said Saturday. “It was painful. It kept my control away from me. I could not throw the ball where I wanted.”
The result was a right shoulder strain and a two-month rehabilitation in Lakeland, Florida, home of the Tigers’ spring training complex. The 33-year-old has since advanced to rehab outings in Triple-A Toledo, making his first appearance Thursday with one scoreless inning.
Cisnero is scheduled for his second outing Monday or Tuesday with the Mud Hens, but he showed up to Comerica Park on Saturday to get an examination for a different injury.
“He came to get a checkup on his Achilles,” Hinch said. “It swelled up on him. Go figure, a separate injury from what he’s been dealing with. … It’s nothing that we’re alarmed by, but with the way this year has gone, we probably should be alarmed by just about everything.”
Cisnero will likely need six or seven relief appearances in the minors before joining the Tigers.
In 2021, Cisnero posted a 3.65 ERA with 31 walks and 62 strikeouts over 61⅔ innings in 67 games. He had a 3.45 ERA over 91⅓ innings in the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined.
“I don’t want to be back and have to throw on 60%, 70% or 80%,” Cisnero said. “I just want to be here throwing 100%. … You don’t come to practice here. You come to play, and you come to win. I have to be 100% ready to play here.”
Tigers pick up pitcher
The Tigers acquired right-hander Michael Mariot from the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The 33-year-old hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2016, when he appeared in 25 games out of the bullpen with a 5.82 ERA.
He has started 11 games for Triple-A Lehigh this season and has served as a full-time starting pitcher since 2019.
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Tuesday’s starter? Not E-Rod
For the upcoming three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers have not announced a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s matchup.
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez — brilliant in his first rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Toledo — was a candidate to start, but as of Saturday afternoon, that has changed.
Tuesday will be a bullpen-only game.
“We’re not sure yet what the timeline is going to be,” Hinch said of Rodriguez, “but we’re going to take a little bit more time.”
Right-handers Rony García and Alex Faedo will start Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
Rodriguez has been on the injured list since May 22, retroactive to May 19, with a left ribcage sprain. The 29-year-old pitched four scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in Thursday’s start for the Mud Hens.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.