Detroit Tigers: Jake Rogers injury opens the door for Dillon Dingler
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Tigers 2021 season is slowly inching towards the finish line, and some recent news is already impacting the look of next year’s roster. It was announced on Twitter by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic that Jake Rogers underwent Tommy John Surgery.
News: Jake Rogers had Tommy John surgery this morning in Dallas.
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) September 8, 2021
Surgery was successful.
He will miss the rest of this year and much, if not all, of next year
It’s not as often that position players undergo Tommy John Surgery, but it is not totally out of the question. But, the Detroit Tigers are going to be without Jake Rogers for the remainder of 2021 and likely all of the 2022 season.
After having a pretty big hype train surrounding him, Rogers has had a severely underwhelming performance with the Tigers organization. He has never really established himself in the big leagues, and he is now going to be on the shelf for the next year at a minimum.
Stavenhagen put out another tweet later about the Tigers having a void at catcher once again. Rogers is a part of the Justin Verlander trade and has not worked out in the slightest, to be quite frank.
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers’s injury opens doors.
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Coming up through the system, Rogers’s abilities behind the plate is what sold many on him. His ability to throw runners out was immaculate, and having to undergo Tommy John Surgery could put a damper on what is arguably his best tool.
In 2021, Rogers logged 38 games for the Tigers, where he slashed .239/.306/.496, with nearly half of his hits being extra-base hits.
The stats are not overwhelming, but his 2021 season was better than his first chance in the 2019 season.
However, Rogers’s future with the Tigers behind the dish may have quite the damper put on it now. The injury to Rogers sucks, but it gives Dillon Dingler a chance to fast-track things. Dingler had a door opened for him, and he needs to make the most of it.
Dingler is the more exciting catcher (in my opinion) and will now have a chance to break through to the big leagues with no real competition ahead of him in terms of prospects. He started the 2021 season strong and could very well make his way to the big leagues and steal Rogers’s thunder right out from under him.
The Tigers used a second-round pick in the 2020 draft on Dingler, and he has plenty of tools to like about him. Rogers is not 100% written off, but if Dingler can quickly develop and figure things out, he could find himself on a fast track to the big leagues.
In 2021, Dingler has logged 41 games in Double-A after being promoted to the Erie Seawolves, where he is slashing .208/.265/.325 with 18 RBI. He needs to perform better if he wants to truly get the fast-track opportunity.
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The thing is, the Tigers losing Rogers opens a door for Dingler to step up and prove his worth. He’s got time, but looking at the effects of Rogers’s absence, it means Dingler needs to rise to the occasion.