Anibal Sanchez Suffers Setback In Monday's Session
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Tigers' right-handed pitcher Anibal Sanchez, after being on the disabled list for the past month, suffered a setback this week with his rotator cuff, according to MLB.com.
According to the story, Sanchez was throwing a session on Monday and was only about 30 pitches in when he felt a flareup in his shoulder. He said it was a possibility that he would see Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon who is used so often by high-level athletes.
Sanchez has been pitching in the majors since 2006, and was the American League ERA champ in 2013 with a 2.57 average. Besides this season (and in 2007, when he pitched in only six games), Sanchez has kept his ERA under 4.00 ever year. During that 2013 season, Sanchez was also fourth in the AL in WAR for pitchers (6.3) and eighth in the league in wins (14).
Even without the bothersome shoulder injury that has nagged for more than a month, this season has been one of the worst of Sanchez' career. He's pitched 157 innings with a 4.99 ERA and allowed a career-high 29 home runs. His 89 runs allowed is also the worst since he allowed 95 in 2012.
This year, Sanchez has also dealt with a finger laceration, shoulder inflammation (in spring training) and a strained pectoral muscle.
Detroit has dealt with other injury problems with its pitchers, with Daniel Norris currently on the disabled list with a strained oblique not long after he made his Tigers debut. Shane Greene was put on the 15-day DL in mid-August with a right shoulder injury and Joe Nathan underwent Tommy John surgery in April.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are an inch away from being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, although their season was probably lost weeks ago, when they traded away David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria at the trade deadline, then fired general manager Dave Dombrowski in early August. A report also surfaced last week from WDIV that the organization was planning on firing manager Brad Ausmus at the end of the season. The Tigers have since refuted that report, and new general manager Al Avila said that all personnel decisions would be made "by" the end of the 2015 season.
