The Detroit Tigers aren't offering much hope of when outfielder Matt Vierling is going to be able to return from an oblique injury.
Vierling has only played 31 games this season and is quickly running out of time to get back in time to make a case that he is healthy enough to make the postseason roster. Barring anything disastrous, the Tigers appear to have the American League Central locked away and can begin making plans for the postseason's early rounds. That's something they would love Vierling to be a part of after spending the last three seasons in the Motor City.
With this in mind, it doesn't come as a surprise that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has often been questioned about the status of his outfielder. MLive Media Group's Evan Woodberry reported on this offering of Hinch's discomforting sentiments on the current situation.
"Matty’s still feeling similar soreness, so he’s still getting evaluated again. I’ll stop short of saying it’s a setback, because I don’t know that yet. But it clearly slowed down our plan with him. He's pretty bummed about it, and he should be. We are, too."A.J. Hinch, Tigers manager
This certainly doesn't sound like a manager who is expecting the outfielder back for the team's postseason run. It is hard to guess how Vierling is going to be viewed, even if he can make it back before the MLB playoffs begin
Tigers Manager Offers Concerning Matt Vierling Injury Update
While the bad news surrounding Vierling has been balanced out by better news on ace Tarik Skubal, it is still undeniably frustrating. For the first time since the 2014 season, this version of the Tigers feels like a group that has a bit of postseason magic in them. Last year broke the decade-long playoff drought, but much of the accomplishment was simply being able to join the field and have your young players learn from the moment.
Now, there are real expectations of a World Series run, and it would be ideal to have Vierling in the fall baseball mix. Although he hasn't exactly been a reliable source of offense (.239/.310/.307 with 1 HR, 11 RBIs in 31 games), the Tigers are a more complete team when he's active and healthy.
Detroit is now forced to live life without the veteran outfielder for the time being. Vierling's frustrating injury update shouldn't dissuade fans from feeling a high level of optimism and excitement for the month ahead, though, as the Tigers have gotten to where they are despite his infrequent appearances.
Hopefully, he puts his issues behind him sooner rather than later and finds a way to make an impact on the Tigers' postseason run.