Detroit Tigers: JaCoby Jones sustains injury as organization sniffs playoffs

The Detroit Tigers have lost one of their outfielders, JaCoby Jones, to a hand injury, coming at one of the worst times for this team.

Shockingly enough, the Detroit Tigers have a winning record and are 17-16 after their victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. If you’re still in shock from that sentence, the Tigers are clinging to life in the playoff race due to the expanded 2020 MLB postseason.

While the initial good news is fantastic as it is shocking, there is some not so good news, JaCoby Jones is going to be sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hand injury. The reports have Jones out for the remainder of the 2020 season, which comes at a horrible time.

Not that there is ever a good time for an injury, but it is just unlucky for the outfielder who cannot seem to catch a break. The outfielder had his season ended earlier last year as well after being plunked.

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Jones was hit in the hand, removed from the game, and subsequent evaluation indicated that his hand was fractured.

Through 29 games, Jones has totaled 104 at-bats for the Tigers while hitting .274/.327/.526 with five home runs and 14 RBI on the 2020 season.

The Tigers hanging on in the playoff race is going to present some hurdles given that they just lost out on their centerfielder.

The good thing about it is that outfielder Victor Reyes has been on a tear, seeing the ball real well in the batter’s box.

Last August, Jones had a similar scenario, which is what caused the demise of his 2019 season. This 2020 sprint season was going to be a perfect opportunity for Jones to get nearly a “full” season in and avoid any injury woes.

However, now he will be spending his time on the sidelines.  Sadly, Jones’s injury ends his 2020 season early, and Jones being on the sidelines means other Tigers hitters will have to step up and fill the gap as the team looks to cling to life in the postseason race.

The Tigers recalled outfielder Travis Demeritte from the alternate training site, and this injury to Jones might mean he gets some playing time in the outfield.

Given that the Tigers just made a move to trade Cameron Maybin at the trade deadline, they will be without two outfielders now after the Jones injury. This means that Jorge Bonifacio, whos big league start with the Tigers, has also not been desirable, might get more chances.

The Detroit Tigers are going to have to have to fill some gaps in the outfield now that JaCoby Jones is hurt if they want to continue to contend for a chance at the 2020 postseason.