Detroit Tigers: The 2016 All-Injured Team
Remember that time when Jordan Zimmermann was 8-2 with a 2.58 ERA?
That was back on June 3rd, after pitching 5.2 innings against the Chicago White Sox and allowing two earned runs. Since then Zimmerman is 1-3, now 9-5 on the season, and has seen his ERA jump from 2.58 to 4.44–in just six starts!
Those six starts span the distance of June 8th to August 12th (and counting), due to a nagging neck strain injury, which has limited the big-ticket free-agent signing to just 16 games started this season. He did briefly come off of the disabled list to make a start on August 4th against the White Sox; however, it was clear that Zimmermann wasn’t healthy, as the light-hitting Sox put six runs on the board in just 1.2 innings in the Tigers 6-3 loss. Zimmermann would later be diagnosed with a right lat strain, earning him a return trip to the DL after the game.
The Tigers had hoped for the “former Nationals” version of Zimmerman when he was brought in during the offseason… the guy who had pitched to a 70-50 record with a 3.32 ERA, 3.40 FIP and a 1.171 WHIP in 1094 IP; however, they have received that 9-5, 4.44, version which has only struck out 60 batters in 97.1 innings.
While Zimmermann came with large expectations, and with a large $110 million contract, it may be a player with much less expected of him this season that may be the biggest injury loss for the Tigers.
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