Detroit — As the Tigers prepared to get through another game against a high-level team using a fleet of relievers Monday, it was hard not to look toward the back of the clubhouse and see Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal cooling down after doing their rehab work.
It was hard not to notice Eduardo Rodriguez walking through with a smile on his face and no cast or wrap on his injured finger. It was hard not to notice Alex Faedo, fired up at his locker after finally being cleared to do Plyo-ball drills and some very light tossing.
It was hard not to think that maybe by July 1, the starting rotation might be close to whole again.
Needless to say, manager AJ Hinch wasn’t playing that game.
“I’ve got to look across the field at the Braves more than I can think about the rotation in July,” he said. “I’m encouraged the guys are doing all the work and they’re working their way back, obviously. They have a lot of work to do to get to that point.
“But, certainly, there are better days ahead when our roster starts filling back out.”
Injured outfielders Riley Greene and Akil Baddoo were also on the field before the game, doing whatever they can do in these early days of their recovery. But, it’s the starting pitchers who are coming into the home stretch of their return-to-play programs.
Manning, recovering from a broken bone in his foot, threw 45 pitches in his first rehab start at Triple-A Toledo Sunday. He walked two and allowed two hits in 1.2 scoreless innings.
“It was the first time I pitched in two months,” he said with a smile. “Felt good. I was missing glove side on some heaters but, all in all, it went pretty good. We’re just going to build up from there.”
Skubal, recovering from flexor tendon surgery, threw a full bullpen Monday. He’s made two rehab starts at High-A West Michigan and is expected to make his third rehab start at Toledo later this week.
Faedo, who still has a wrap on the injured middle finger of his right hand, said he felt like he had a breakthrough Sunday night.
“I felt really bad yesterday,” he said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know when I’m going to throw a baseball or throw anything again.’ And then last night it started to feel better. I felt like I could throw right then. It almost felt like a darn miracle for a second.”
Faedo hopes he will be able to progress to longer throws soon.
As the team took a nine-game losing streak into a three-game series against the N.L. East-leading Braves — using reliever Mason Englert to open the first game just six days after deploying all relievers against the Phillies — it seemed therapeutic to look ahead to July.
“We’re going to allow ourselves to look forward to that when it comes,” Hinch said. “But, we are reminded every day that we have a big challenge in front of us right now. It is what it is. We have to stay patient with the guys getting healthy.
“The worst thing we can do is combine the emotions of what we’re going through right now with altering their programs or try to get them ready faster than they should be.”
Poppa Joe Jimenez
Former Tigers pitcher Joe Jimenez stood behind the batting cage before the game watching his former teammates taking early batting practice. One by one, players came over to give him a hug or a handshake and catch up.
“It’s nice to be back,” said Jimenez, who played the last six seasons in Detroit and was an All-Star in 2018. “A little strange, though, to be on the other side.”
Jimenez is in a good place, a key piece of the Braves’ bullpen. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings, with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings. On the season, he’s allowed nine runs in 21.1 innings with 28 strikeouts.
“I love Joe,” Hinch said. “I got to know Joe very well and what makes him tick. We watched him resurrect his career from being that All-Star as a very young reliever to going through a lot of tests, trials and tribulations. He grew up a lot as a Tiger.
“And when he left us, he was probably in the best position physically and mentally than he’d been in his career.”
The Tigers traded Jimenez to the Braves this winter for prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy.
“It’s crazy how everything went,” Jimenez said. “But, it’s worked out pretty good for everybody.”
Jimenez became a father six weeks ago, too.
“Baby girl, Victoria,” he said. “We’re blessed.”
Around the horn
… The Tigers activated outfielder Matt Vierling off the injured list before Monday’s game and optioned Nick Solak to Toledo. Hinch said he expected Vierling and Jake Marisnick to share playing time in center field while Greene is out. “Getting Vierling back, we’ve got to be cautious of where his workload is,” Hinch said. Vierling was out because of back tightness.
Braves at Tigers
First pitch: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
TV/Radio: BSD/97.1
Scouting report:
RHP Spencer Strider (6-2, 3.79), Braves: Upper-90s heat on his fastball and a slider that’s getting a 56.8% whiff rate make for an uncomfortable night for any team. Strider leads baseball with 121 strikeouts. His 40% strikeout rate and 39% whiff rate are in the top-3 percentile. He is human, though, apparently. He was tagged for eight runs in four innings by the Mets in his last start.
RHP Reese Olson (0-1, 2.70), Tigers: He certainly hasn’t been wowed by the level. He’s gone five innings in both his outings, allowing three runs with nine strikeouts. In the short sample, hitters are 1-for-16 with five strikeouts against his slider, which he throws off a 95-mph, four-seam fastball.
Twitter: @cmccosky