Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann was pitching well before going on the disabled list. However, he struggled in his first rehab outing with the Toledo Mud Hens.
Before the beginning of the 2016 season, the Detroit Tigers signed Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year, $110 million deal. Aside from an outstanding month of April back in 2016, Zimmermann has struggled throughout most of his time in Detroit. He has also battled injuries.
This season, to the surprise of some, Zimmermann was named the Tigers’ opening day starter. He had a decent outing on opening day, and although he was battling some ups and downs, he appeared to be pitching much better overall this season.
Prior to going on the DL with a right shoulder impingement, he had two very strong outings in a row, allowing zero runs and a total of just four hits over 12 innings of work.
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On Sunday, Zimmermann made his first rehab start for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. In less than an inning of work, the veteran right-hander allowed seven earned runs on seven hits.
It was only one rehab outing, so one shouldn’t read too much into it. John Wagner of the Toledo Blade rightly opines that Tigers fans would be wise to brush Zimmermann’s tough start aside.
Per Wagner, despite the rough numbers, Zimmermann claimed “everything [felt] good” and also admitted to being a bit rusty. Zimmermann also stated that only a few balls were hit sharply off of him, which Wagner confirmed.
Detroit Tigers holding on
With the month of June now rapidly approaching, the Tigers aren’t exactly looking like serious contenders, but they are still hanging around. Detroit is currently in second place in the AL Central with a record of 23-29. In Zimmermann’s absence, Blaine Hardy has been a pleasant surprise.
In three appearances as a starter, Hardy has posted a 2.76 ERA. When he hasn’t been in Toledo, the Tigers have used Hardy primarily as a reliever since he first came up in 2014. Per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, Hardy will likely be slotted for a bullpen role upon Zimmermann’s return.
Of course, there are already trade whispers surrounding some of the Tigers’ players. It would still be a bit of a surprise to see Zimmermann’s name on the trading block, however.
The fact that he still has two years remaining on his contract after this one and has struggled with his health and consistency would likely make him tough to move.
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However, if he can shake off the rough rehab outing and get back to pitching the way he was prior to going on the DL, he may yet emerge as a solid contributor or decent trade chip at some point in time for the Detroit Tigers.