Less than 24 hours after Akil Baddoo suffered a right quadriceps strain in the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Comerica Park, the Detroit Tigers placed the outfielder on the 10-day injured list, the latest negative development for a club that has yet to a post a victory this month.
Although manager A.J. Hinch disclosed to reporters that the medical staff told him the injury was on the “mild side,” he added that Baddoo would be “out for the foreseeable future” and didn’t give a timetable for his recovery.
“Obviously disappointing to lose him,” Hinch said Saturday morning with a dose of stoicism.
The void left by Baddoo further impinges a roster short on outfielders, leaving Hinch with some tough choices as he pieces together his lineup card.
The recent return of Kerry Carpenter from the injured list will help. So too will the acquisition of Nick Solak, who was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves earlier this week. In a corresponding move, Solak was recalled Saturday from Triple-A Toledo and Hinch noted that the versatility of the peripatetic utility player should help alleviate a vexing situation that has left the manager dipping into his cast of infielders to fill the gaps in the outfield. To that end, Hinch indicated his plans to deploy Zack Short and Andy Ibáñez beyond the dirt.
“Right now, everybody’s going to get opportunities in different spots,” Hinch said.
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Before he was hurt, Baddoo acted as the Tigers’ thermostat. When he was hot, so was the rest of the club. He hit .294 and posted a .392 on-base percentage during May, when the Tigers surged at times with a 16-11 record. In June, however, he has been mired in a slump with a wretched .053 batting average as the team has dropped seven consecutive games during an icy stretch.
“We all hurt for him,” Hinch said. “We all care about him…We have a lot of talent on the injured list. None of that talent can help us today. So we have to move on and play.”