OT: Tigers closer Joe Nathan out for the season
The Tigers will lose the services of closer Joe Nathan for the remainder of the season, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters Thursday.
Nathan has tears in his ulnar collateral ligament and an elbow flexor tendon and will require surgery, Ausmus said.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2015/04/23/nathan-out-season-tigers/26233533/
EDIT:
Well, that escalated quickly.
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
one of the worst ways to (presumably) end your career.
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:48 AM ^
I didn't know ligaments had emotions and could cry...I hope his ligaments have better feels :/
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
Best of luck to him in his recovery, but this isn't exactly bad news for the Tigers. Soria has looked quite good in the closer role so far.
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
Never like to see a season ending injury (now that the guilt is gone), but I think removing him as an option for closer only benefits the Tigers in the long run.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
This still hurts the Tigers. If Nathan was at least league average then he was likely to help the Tigers lengthen an already short bullpen. So now it's basically just Al and Soria in terms of actual major league arms, that's sad.
Personally i'd love for Dombrowski to trade for Quackenbush from the Padres, but we'll see what happens.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
Ironically the Tigers sent down Krol already today, that's likely because they needed another arm after yesterday's fiasco, but alas it's still a sad state of affairs down in the pen.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
are setting up to move Verlander into the pen. That is my theory and I am sticking to it.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
are paying him, they might as well get something out of the deal. I kind of am leaning toward believing that JVs impact starter days are over, and they can't move the contract. If it is bad or non-existent starter JV v. solid middle reliever JV why not at least chose the option where you are not completely just eating the contract.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
This is the classic response that makes zero logical sense, he signed the top closer on the market last year, and traded 2 top prospects for the hottest reliever in the league last year. If that isn't addressing the problem then I'm not sure what is...
Did they work out, 1 is in the process of working and the other is a complete bust, but it wasn't for lack of trying on Dombrowski's part.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
I'm not disagreeing with you as I would have liked some extra bullpen help, but it boggles my mind how people think Dombrowski didn't do anything to fix it. He signed Nathan, he signed Joba, he signed Hanrahan, he traded for Soria, he traded for Krol, I mean shit that's alot to do in one off-season. While it hasn't worked out, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.
Obviously they need more help now, and I'm assuming we'll make a move sooner rather than later but I just can't behind the thought that Dombrowski just ignored the problem.
Krol was a project that was included in the Fister trade. Soria was a deal mid way thru the season last year in desperation and is the only one that I liked.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
this could be the end of his career. Soria has pitched well in the closer role, but I was looking forward to seeing if Nathan could return to greatness this year.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
I was really hoping to see a bounce back season from Nathan. Soria has looked good though.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:03 AM ^
What's the status of Rondon?
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
I thought I read he threw a 15 pitch bullpen session yesterday and felt great afterwards. I'm not positive, but I believe I saw it on the Twitter from a Tigers rep. Here's to hoping he'll be back in Detroit sooner rather than later.
Don't count on Rondon to be a world beater. He has what a half season of good to decent pitching at the MLB level? That's hardly enough time for hitters to get good tape on you.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
Bruce Rondon will throw a 20-pitch bullpen session today in Lakeland. He's progressing incrementally in mound sessions.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) April 23, 2015April 23rd, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
I liked where he was headed just before his surgery. I'm hoping he can be solid again when he comes back. That should help bolster the bullpen quite a bit. I think they still may need one reliable guy. I think they really wanted Krol to work but it just isn't happening yet.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
in the off-season comes back to bite us for like the 8th year in a row...lovely...
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
You don't make bullpen moves in the off-season. It's very stupid.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:49 AM ^
in season haven't exactly been stellar
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
Right, because lights out closers grow on trees. Every team has at least one or two -- Clearly DD should have been able to trade for one or pick up a UFA closer.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
I think this injury saves Brad Ausmus from himself. I really had little to no doubt in my mind that Nathan was going to get put back into the closers role upon returning to the Tigers bullpen. He was done last year as an effective pro pitcher. He could have handled it with more class but he chose instead to lash out against the fans for being unhappy that he was performing extremely poor in the role he was being paid a lot for.
This is the end of his career but I dont feel bad for him at all. Guy tortured us for years in Minnesota. Came here. Sucked it up. Was a dick to the fanbase. Now he gets to sit at home and rehab while collecting 10 or so million dollars from the Tigers organization that could have likely got us 2 relievers more useful than him. So... so long Joe.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
I know Dombrowski has nothing to give, but what're the chances? If they really want to "win now" a significant move needs to be made. Ilitch is running out of time faster than he's running out of money.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:33 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
That does suck for Nathan, and I feel for him, but I am glad that it makes the decision to keep Soria at closer much easier.
That said, the bullpen is starting to look shaky again. Also just saw that Krol has been DFA'd as of this morning, with Alex Wilson coming up to give it a go. Chamberlain has pitched well so far, but he's still a wild card in my mind. AlAl is always inconsistent. Not many options in the 'pen.
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^
Best case of a bad situation. As stated he was done and its better than a further tarnishing of a stellar career. A Juan gone and Nate Colbert waste of money for the Tigers. Wish him well in retirement and recuperation that he has ample compensation for and hopefully this will preclude rash statements about the "D".
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
April 23rd, 2015 at 12:03 PM ^
Tigers Closer=Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. We're never going to have one.
April 23rd, 2015 at 12:38 PM ^
Moving Verlander to the Pen is looking more and more likely if he cant get his health and game together as a starter any more.
*Opens thread, reads first couple comments, slowly backs out and closes firefox tab behind him.