The Tigers just can't seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries. First they lost Joel Zumaya for the season after he suffered an extremely serious elbow injury just by throwing a pitch. Then Brandon Inge got hit by a pitch earlier this week and suffered a broken hand as a result, which will keep him out four to six weeks. The latest victim of the injury bug is Magglio Ordonez, who is out six to eight weeks after fracturing his right ankle.
Ordonez was dealing with a sore ankle recently, which is why he was moved to designated hitter tonight. When he was trying to run home from first base on a Miguel Cabrera double in the third inning, he slid and couldn't get back up. Trainers had to help him off the field, and we now know that he fractured his ankle.
At this point, with the way injuries have just ravaged the Tigers' lineup, they're going to have to decide whether to try and make a run or just stay put and wait until next year. Losing Zumaya was bad enough, but now with Inge and Ordonez out for an extended period of time, it's just tough to see the Tigers overcoming this and emerging as the champions of the AL Central. It will take a few moves for that to happen in my mind.