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March 17, 2008

Team Health Reports

Detroit Tigers

by Will Carroll

The Facts
Head Trainer: Kevin Rand
Player Days Lost: 1,175
Total Dollars Lost: $9.68 million
Three-Year Rank: 22

Finding Detroit rated this low seems kind of an oddball, down here in the land of the non-contenders (health division). Hearing that Kansas City or Washington ended up with a bunch of DL days doesn't surprise many people, but the Tigers? That just doesn't seem possible. Kevin Rand is very well thought of, and their strength and conditioning program is considered one of the most progressive (especially in the minor leagues), but much like the Angels or Cardinals, there's an all-or-nothing quality to the health of the Tigers.

It must be noted that three players--Roman Colon, Tony Giarratano, and Edward Campusano--a group that sounds more like the Three Tenors than three injured Tigers--each accounted for 'max loss' days, which was 184 last season. However, even if those three could or should be taken out, the team took a load of injuries to their pitching staff. Joel Zumaya's might be the best known, but problems with Kenny Rogers in the first half and Jeremy Bonderman in the second could easily be the difference between winning and losing in the AL Central. A repeat performance in the trainer's room needs to be avoided, but the team is struck already with Joel Zumaya's freak shoulder injury and a continuation of Fernando Rodney's struggles with shoulder soreness.

The Tigers' shift to a three-man training staff should help, but more than any other single factor, their hopes this season depend on the health of Jeremy Bonderman. I'm encouraged by the way the staff--field and medical--worked together to keep Justin Verlander from being overworked in his post-playoff season, something I wasn't sure that an old-school guy like Jim Leyland would deal with well. Bonderman has been handled "by the book" up to this point, making many wonder that if he breaks down, is it simply the heavy workload below the injury nexus of 24, or is it just the fates handing down another injury that couldn't be helped? Scouts versus stats might still be a bit of a fight, but the old and new schools of pitching management might have their best pitched battle at Comerica Park this summer.

The Big Question

The bloggers at Bless You Boys ask: "Will playing first base really be easier on Carlos Guillen's knees than shortstop, as the conventional wisdom seems to dictate?"

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