Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have cut their list of targets down to three prospects as they ponder what to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft Monday.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reported Sunday that Detroit is considering Auburn Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize, Florida Gators starting pitcher Brady Singer and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets catcher Joey Bart.

According to Mayo, Detroit was also looking at Wichita State Shockers infielder Alec Bohm and prep pitcher Matthew Liberatore before turning its focus to Mize, Singer and Bart.

In his most recent mock draft, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter had the Tigers taking Mize with the first pick. The Auburn ace also sits first on the big boards for ESPN's Keith Law and MLB.com.

Mize is 10-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 starts. More impressive, he has struck out 151 batters in 109.2 innings. Singer is 11-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 95 innings. He'd be the second Gators pitcher the Tigers selected in the first round in as many years after Detroit picked Alex Faedo 18th overall in 2017.

Mize or Singer would make sense for Detroit, which is not only experiencing a long-term rebuild but also traded away Justin Verlander last year. Either player could be the face of the Tigers' future.

A case could be made for Bart as well, especially when considering four of Detroit's top prospects—Faedo, Franklin Perez, Matt Manning and Beau Burrows—are pitchers. The 2018 ACC Player of the Year is batting .359 and slugging .632 with 16 homers and 38 RBI.

A goose that crashed into a Comerica Park scoreboard during Wednesday's game between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels was set free Friday after completing a brief recovery.

The animal, who affectionately became known as the "Rally Goose" after the Tigers scored five runs following the incident during a rain delay, was released in East Lansing, Michigan, per ESPN.com.

Here's a look at the bird's painful flight into the scoreboard:

Detroit hasn't lost since the Rally Goose's emergence. The Tigers closed out the series against the Angels with a victory Thursday and opened a series with the Toronto Blue Jays with another win Friday.

They'll look to keep the streak alive Saturday against the Jays.  

In his latest mock draft released Thursday, ESPN's Keith Law had Auburn Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize going first overall to the Detroit Tigers.

Mize also went first in Law's initial mock, but he discussed an alternative option in version 2.0 if the Tigers want to save some bonus-pool cash:

"Yes, money could always be a factor, but if Mize's medicals hold up, there isn't a better option for the Tigers at 1-1. If Detroit does cut a deal, it could be with prep lefty Matthew Liberatore."

Mize is putting together a terrific 2018 season as Auburn's ace. He's compiled a 2.73 ERA across 13 starts with a .180 batting average against and 124 strikeouts in 89 innings.

The 21-year-old Alabama native has reached remarkable heights since going undrafted out of Springville High School in 2015. His accomplishments over the past three years with the Tigers include throwing a no-hitter against Northeastern in early March.

Mize doesn't use the fact that MLB teams passed on him as motivation, though. He told John Zenor of the Associated Press last week he agreed with their decision based on his ability at the time.

"I definitely was not good enough," he said. "I realized that and I was fine with that. I was just a smaller guy, very raw, didn't know anything about pitching. Just had a good arm. Luckily, I got to Auburn, learned some things, put some weight on, got stronger. I had a chance to be around some really good coaches and really good teammates, and they've helped mold me into the player I am today."

The only question is whether the Tigers want to use a significant portion of their bonus pool on him.

Jim Callis of MLB.com noted Detroit has $12.4 million to spend without incurring a penalty, and the assigned value for the first overall pick is $8.1 million.

The system is why a lot of teams place an emphasis on signability. That could bring a player like Liberatore, who the front office could try to sign for below slot value, into the mix for the Tigers if they're looking to save some money for later picks.

That said, Mize's talent could be too much to pass up. His strikeout rate (12.5 K/9) showcases the high-end stuff necessary to become a top-flight starter in Detroit within a few years.

Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera's injury woes this season have landed him on the 10-day disabled list. 

Per the Tigers' media relations department, Cabrera is dealing with a strained right hamstring he suffered in Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals. 

It's just the latest ailment the 35-year-old has had to deal with in recent seasons. He was sidelined for three games early this season due to a left bicep spasm and wound up suffering his hamstring strain in his first game back yesterday.

Last year, he was limited to 130 games after landing on the disabled list as the result of a right groin strain in April as well missing the end of the season because of two herniated disks in his back. He also hit the DL in 2015 due to a calf strain.

This was shaping up to be a nice bounceback season for the two-time American League MVP following arguably the worst season of his career. In 2017, he hit just .249/.329/.399 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles and 60 RBI.

The 11-time All-Star is off to a strong start with a .323/.407/.516 slash line through 26 games this season.  

Cabrera may be past his prime, but he is still counted on to be a run-producer in the middle of the Tigers lineup, especially as the franchise goes through a rebuild.

At 13-17 with a rebuilding roster, Detroit already faced long odds of making the playoffs. Cabrera's injury will not help matters, but reaching the postseason was not a realistic goal entering the year to begin with. This is a team that traded away key veterans, like Justin Verlander and Justin Upton, over the past year as it builds for the future.

The Tigers will likely turn to Niko Goodrum at first base with Cabrera out of action. 

Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera left Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals with a right hamstring strain.

The team announced the details of Cabrera's latest setback. 

Cabrera has dealt with nagging injuries already this season. He left an April 5 game against the Chicago White Sox with a bruised hip flexor, though he was able to return for Detroit's next game. 

On April 29, Cabrera injured his left biceps and sat out the Tigers' next three games. Thursday was his first game back in the lineup, serving as the designated hitter.

A two-time American League MVP, Cabrera has looked like his old self when he's been healthy enough to play. He is hitting .323/.407/.516 with nearly as many walks (14) as strikeouts (17). 

Last season looked like it could be the start of a fast decline in Cabrera's performance. The 35-year-old had a career-low .728 OPS in 130 games in 2017, so his early results this season have been promising.  

With Cabrera on the shelf, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire will likely turn to John Hicks at first base. 

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera left Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles with a left biceps spasm, the team announced.

Cabrera exited in the fifth inning, and Niko Goodrum replaced him at first base for the remainder of the game.

Cabrera's 10-year, $292 million extension was puzzling when the Tigers first announced it in 2014, and it's looking even more regrettable after the two-time MVP struggled through the worst year of his MLB career in 2017.

Cabrera batted .249 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI. Even worse, he was 128th among 144 qualified hitters in slugging percentage (.399), per FanGraphs.

Injuries dogged Cabrera throughout 2017, so it's fair to assume his lack of production had something to do with his health. At the same time, even a great player such as Cabrera isn't immune to the aging curve, and it would appear that is starting to catch up with the 35-year-old.

Cabrera's absence would be a much bigger problem for the Tigers if they hadn't already started their full-scale rebuild in 2017. Detroit traded Justin Verlander and Justin Upton en route to a last-place finish in the American League Central.

The 2018 season is set to be more of the same, regardless of whether Cabrera is in the lineup or not.

Despite a game-time temperature of 36 degrees, one Detroit Tigers fan braved the cold to work on his tan during Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. 

CBS Detroit's Will Burchfield found the fan, nicknamed "Chewbacca," who explained he has made it a tradition to go shirtless while watching Tigers games at Comerica Park:

Not only did the fan become a viral sensation online, but he also got to watch the Tigers pick up their sixth victory of the season in dramatic fashion. Dixon Machado hit a walk-off solo home run in the ninth inning off Pedro Araujo to give Detroit the 6-5 win.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann left Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Indians after being struck in the head by a line drive. 

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis—the second batter Zimmerman faced in the game—hit a liner back up the middle, and the Tigers right-hander was unable to get his glove up in time. Fox Sports Detroit provided footage of the scary moment.

Zimmerman left the game and was able to walk off the field under his own power, according to Fox Sports Detroit. Left-hander Daniel Norris took over on the mound for the Tigers.

Kipnis was shaken up by the incident, per Jason Beck of MLB.com:

The Tigers announced Zimmermann is being treated for a right jaw contusion:

This is not the first time Zimmermann has been involved in a play like this. In college, he suffered a broken jaw after being hit by a comebacker and had to have his jaw wired shut.

It's just the latest bump in the road in what has been a rough start to the season for the 31-year-old pitcher. In his first two starts, he was roughed up for 10 runs on 15 hits in 10.1 innings. The silver lining is that he has notched 11 strikeouts while issuing just two free passes.

He faced two batters Wednesday and retired both.

Zimmermann, who is in the third year of a five-year, $110 million contract, was hoping to have a bounceback season and anchor Detroit's rotation. He is 17-20 with a 5.71 ERA in his first two-plus seasons with the Tigers. Prior to signing the lucrative deal, he had piled up a 70-50 record with a 3.32 ERA in seven seasons with the Washington Nationals.

The Tigers were hoping the two-time All-Star would be able to return to form this season. Although he had yet to do so, there was still plenty of time for him to work through his struggles. Now, baseball takes a backseat as he deals with the situation at hand.

Belkis Rodriguez—the former mistress of Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera—was awarded over $12,000 per month in child support by a judge Wednesday.

According to Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press, Rodriguez had been seeking $100,000 per month from the two-time American League MVP.

Rodriguez is eligible to continue pushing for more since the current award is temporary.

Rodriguez sued Cabrera last year for more than the $12,000 per month he was paying to support their five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.

As part of the judge's decision, Cabrera will pay exactly $12,247 per month along with money toward "private schooling, day care, health insurance and extracurricular activities."

Additionally, Cabrera will provide the children with yearly passes to Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World.

The 34-year-old Cabrera has been married to his wife, Rosangel, since 2002. They have two daughters and one son together.

Cabrera's wife filed for divorce last year after finding out about the affair but later changed her mind, per Baldas.

As part of Rodriguez's continued pursuit of additional child support, Cabrera will be forced to disclose how much he spends on his wife and the three children he has with her.

The Detroit Tigers lost their home opener to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 13 innings Friday, but the controversy surrounding the replay review that extended the game in the 10th has continued.

On Monday, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said the MLB offices explained to Tigers general manager Al Avila that mistakes were made in the process that took too long to complete the review before ruling out the potential game-winning run, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com.

"The explanation was they didn't really have conclusive evidence that somebody tagged him," Gardenhire said Monday. "Yes, he might have got him. 'We think he got him' is not good enough. In this situation, it has to be definitive. It has to be, "Yeah, I see him (tag) him.' It's not, 'Well, he looked like he touched his sleeve.' That can't happen. It's got to be conclusive. Obviously it didn't happen. There were mistakes made."

However, after Gardenhire's comments, the league issued a statement backing the original decision, via Woodbery:

"The nature of the exchange with the Tigers was that the replay officials made the correct call based on conclusive evidence. The video clearly shows the catcher applying the tag on the upper right arm of the runner."

The play in question took place in the 10th inning of Friday's game when a single from JaCoby Jones appeared to drive home Nicholas Castellanos for an 11-10 walk-off win.

After almost five minutes of a review, however, the umpires ruled him out at the plate:

The league announced last season that replays would be limited to two minutes, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. While this review clearly went past that mark, Gardenhire said this was blamed on the team.

"One of the statements made to me was, the reason it took so long is because you guys were celebrating," the manager said, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. "I said, 'You just called our guy safe. We're not going to celebrate a win?'"

Three innings after the play was overturned, Gregory Polanco hit the decisive three-run home run to lead the Pirates to a 13-10 win.