Detroit Tigers to Skip Jordan Zimmermann’s Next Start

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann will not make his next scheduled start after being shelled yesterday in his return from the DL.

After an abysmal outing on Saturday, the Detroit Tigers will skip right-hander Jordan Zimmermann‘s next turn in the rotation, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Instead, he’ll throw a simulated game to try to work through his struggles:

Yesterday’s start was Zimmermann’s first since August 4 after he spent over a month on the disabled list with a strained neck. It just about couldn’t have gone any worse for the eight-year veteran. He completed only one inning against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing six runs on four hits – three of them homers – while walking three. Zimmermann pitched to four batters in the second without recording an out before being pulled.

It was a painful bit of déjà vu for the hurler, who suffered a similarly ugly outing in his previous appearance, which also came after an extended DL stint. Zimmermann was shelved with the same neck problem in early July, and was hammered by the Chicago White Sox upon returning on August 4. He managed to get two more outs in that performance, serving up six runs on six hits (two homers) and two walks over 1.2 frames.

Zimmermann’s fall this season has been rather alarming, considering he started the year looking like one of the best free agent signings of the previous winter. The righty, who spent his first seven big league campaigns with the Washington Nationals, didn’t allow a run in his first three starts in a Tigers uniform. Through May 11, he held a 1.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 2.55 K/BB ratio over 48 innings (seven starts).

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Things began to unravel there. After spinning off seven consecutive quality starts to begin the year, Zimmermann has managed only one (6/19 @ KC) in his last ten outings. He has put up a bloated 8.23 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over that span as well. Clearly something went wrong with Zimmermann somewhere along the line, and the neck injury is an easy culprit.

Although Zimmermann at age 30 probably isn’t the dominant pitcher who came roaring out of the gate, he’s likely not as terrible as he has been lately either. The Tigers need to get him right, and making sure that he is fully recovered from his neck strain is the first part of that. The fact that he re-aggravated it after just one start last month is troubling, although Zimmermann claimed he felt fine physically after yesterday’s game.

“I feel good. I feel like I’m back to my old self. I just wasn’t able to locate pitches and it’s pretty embarrassing going one-plus innings and giving up six runs,” he said.

Some might question whether the Tigers brought Zimmermann back too quickly before he was completely healed, but manager Brad Ausmus refuted such notions: “I’ve never been told that he wasn’t 100 percent. He pitched his rehab and after his last rehab start he said he felt really good. That’s why we went forward.”

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Detroit could really use a healthy, effective Zimmermann for its postseason push. After dropping their last two contests, the Tigers are two games behind in the race for the AL’s second Wild Card spot, after being tied for it with the Orioles on Friday.

The club will hope Zimmermann somehow gets himself back on track to help them in the season’s final weeks. For now, Mike Pelfrey and Buck Farmer are potential candidates to start in his place on Thursday.