Jordan Zimmerman might not play for the Detroit Tigers again. Zimmerman was placed on the 45-day injured list on Saturday with a right forearm strain.
On Friday, Zimmerman was supposed to start the Tigers’ intrasquad game. However, he didn’t fill that role because he was experiencing forearm soreness before the game. He will rehab the injury and try to avoid surgery.
“He played catch a couple times and said he feels fine, and then it starts getting a little sore,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He’s going to rehab. That’s what everybody has decided is the best way to go here. He’s got plenty of time here, and hopefully, by the end of this thing, we’ll see where he’s at.”
Gardenhire didn’t rule out Zimmerman pitching near the end of the season.
“Somewhere down the road, maybe at the end, I think he wants to show people that he can pitch. But he’s got a road ahead of him, trying to stay well,” Gardenhire told Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.
Zimmerman is entering the final year of his five-year contract. This season will surely be his last year with the Tigers as they prepared for their pitching prospects to arrive. He was 1-13 with a 6.91 ERA last year and has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. However, he did win the American League Pitcher of the Month award in April 2016, his first month as a Tiger.
Zimmerman isn’t the only Tiger pitcher that’s out. Daniel Norris is on the 10-day injured list after testing positive for COVID-19.
