The Tigers have put veteran slugger Miguel Cabrera on the 10-day injured list due to a left biceps strain, the team announced. Renato Nunez’s contract has been selected to take Cabrera’s spot on the active roster, and right-hander Julio Teheran was moved to the 60-day IL to open up room for Nunez on the 40-man roster.
As noted by MLB.com’s Jason Beck and a Twitter follower, the injury looks to have occurred during Cabrera’s plate appearance in the seventh inning of yesterday’s 11-3 Tigers loss to the Indians. Cabrera remained in the game as a first baseman and was replaced for a pinch-hitter during his next at-bat, a substitution that seemed more like a nod to the blowout score than an indication Cabrera was hurt.
This isn’t the first time Cabrera has dealt with a left biceps injury, as a ruptured tendon back in June 2018 prematurely ended his 2018 campaign after just 38 games. There isn’t yet any indication that this current problem is anywhere near as serious, however, and there isn’t yet any timeline on when Cabrera could be back in action.
Cabrera (who turns 38 in a week) has gotten off to a tough start, with only a .514 OPS through his first 27 plate appearances of 2021. After working exclusively as a DH in 2020, Cabrera has more or less split his starts between first base and designated hitter this season. Any time missed will delay Cabrera’s quest for two statistical milestones — he currently stands 131 hits shy of the 3000-hit club, and 12 home runs shy of the 500-homer club. Cabrera’s ticket to Cooperstown is already all but punched, of course, though he would be only the seventh player in baseball history to reach both the 3000-hit and 500-homer plateaus, joining Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Eddie Murray, Alex Rodriguez, and Rafael Palmeiro.
Nunez signed a minor league deal with Detroit back in February, and though he didn’t make the team out of Spring Training, Nunez chose to forego his opt-out clause and remain with the Tigers despite some minor league offers from other clubs. He now might step into regular (and perhaps even everyday) work as the Tigers’ new first baseman with Cabrera on the shelf, though Nunez will also see some action at DH and perhaps at third base if Jeimer Candelario is shifted across the diamond to get some time at first base.
The Orioles released Nunez prior to the non-tender deadline rather than pay the 27-year-old a salary projected to fall somewhere between $2.1MM and $3.9MM. Nunez has been a generally above-average hitter (105 wRC+, 106 OPS+) over the last three seasons, hitting .250/.316/.457 with 51 home runs over 1076 PA with the Rangers and Orioles. Without much to offer in the way of OBP or fielding acumen at third base, however, Nunez was deemed expendable by the cost-cutting O’s.
Teheran was only placed on the 10-day IL yesterday with a right shoulder strain, and manager A.J. Hinch said that the veteran hurler would miss a significant amount of time while recovering, so the 60-day IL assignment isn’t any surprise. Teheran signed a minor league deal with Detroit over the winter and locked in a guaranteed $3MM salary when he made the team. Teheran suffered his shoulder problem just minutes before he was scheduled for his second start in a Tigers uniform.
If Cabrera dropped about 40lbs, he’d be a lot healthier all-around. It might not prevent this specific injury, but his knees and other injuries are very much preventable.
Biceps legs… totally 2 different areas of the body smh
So like, as I specifically said in the post “it might not prevent this specific injury, but….”
You must have missed that part.
He did drop probably about 40 pounds last year. He looked the skinniest he’s looked since he was 24. Only problem was he gained a lot of it back this offseason it seems
Yeaaaa and I suppose when you’re worth hundreds of millions of $ and playing for a team that will likely never see the postseason during your career again, it’s hard to be super motivated. The only thing he really has to keep him motivated is the Hall of Fame, which he’s already a lock for anyway. A couple other milestones like career hits and home runs, but those aren’t exactly things that will get you to drop significant weight.
You really think that’s the case? You think this guy just does whatever he wants and doesn’t care? Miggy is a gamer, he is busting his ass every game, if you’re a major league hitter you can’t not be motivated. Also there is definitely a chance the tigers make the playoffs by 2023, so not sure what you mean by that either
Come on, he is not busting his ass every game. You ever see him run hard on a ground ball, even his double plays are not close. He has way too many at bats where he just goes through the motions, easy out.
Tigers are not contending by 2023, isn’t one current starter in the lineup that would be a starter on a contending team. Riley Greene is the only Tigers batter in the system who has shown any promise.
What?? First of all, Miggy has chronic leg injuries, so yeah he can’t run very fast anyways, and if he hits a routine grounder he’s not gonna risk hurting himself more by trying to run it out. That doesn’t mean he’s not trying hard everytime though.
Also, the tigers have 5-6 legitimate pitching prospects. Candelario is also gonna be a legit hitter, along with guys like Torkelson, Greene, Dingler, paredes, meadows, Clemens. The tigers literally have the best farm system in baseball. Don’t say something stupid like that if you can’t back up a single thing you said.
So would you say that is Miggy busting his ass every day? When he walks down to first on a lazy ground ball. Every athlete has injuries.
Best farm system? Keith Law had them at 19 last year and ten this year. Mize and Skubal will graduate soon. I love Torkelson, but he just finished one of the worst spring trainings in the history of baseball, didn’t make hard contact once. I hope the Tigers do well, but if you really look at the full roster, yikes.
The Royals were winning World Series when the Tigers were starting their rebuild. Royals tanked and traded most of the players and drafted well and have already passed up the Tigers with major league talent and prospects and they are ready to contend this year.
Arguably the worst contract in baseball … worse than the Angels with Pujols.
And, with him back on the IR? Strasburg moving up from the outside into third-worst contract position.
Speaking of, although he’s never (AFAIK) faced rumors, maybe, like Phat Albert, he’s a year or two older than his stated age?
Damn. That putting him back at first base lasted long
After getting hurt swinging the bat…
@ downer
Obviously, you have not seen him this year. He is much lighter, as he was making sure he would be allowed to play the field. He is a large person, and that won’t change. He was larger when he won the triple crown.
The bigger news here is Tehran being moved to the 60 day. It seemed to be a mild injury when it was announced, and he might miss a start or two. Now he’s out at least 2 months! Another wonderful free agent signing by the great Al Avila!
It was a minor league contract. Chill. There was zero risk in signing Teheran.
The amount of people here who don’t understand minor league signings is truly staggering.
The amount of people that live life in hindsight is truly staggering. Just waiting for somebody to get hurt so the geniuses can pop up with the would’ve could’ve should’ve comments is comical.
He was way smaller when he came up with the Marlins. Still remember the magazine cover of him with two bikini clad beauties. All were equally skinny.
Make more money = eat more food = get lazy and larger.
Coming in as a SS and then going out as a guy that can’t play 1B or even DH says a lot about how well he’s taken care of his body over the years.
I can tell you that although I’m in construction and still work harder than most professions out there, my body at 37 is nowhere near where it was when I was a skinny 21 year old kid that could bounce back from just about anything
So far Teheran has looked like what you hope to get out of a minor league signing, unfortunate for him and the Kittys that he’s already injured
Just add his name to the long recent list of Detroit Tiger free agent starting pitchers that have been busts over the past few years…
I’m sure it’s frustrating but at the end of the day it was a low risk high reward signing, nothing that’s going to affect their future financially
LOL
I don’t think 3000 hits/500 hr is happening but he’s a HOFer anyway.
I think he can get 12 HRs. 131 hits might be a bit difficult unless he wants to play an extra season for basically no money.
He’s still owed $90m without any vesting options is he not? So I think he continues playing.
I don’t know why I thought his contract was done after this year. Dude is locked in until at least 2023. The Tigers really shot themselves in the foot with that contract. Since he signed it, he has been a slightly above average hitter with absolutely no defensive value.
Pujols’ contract is done after this year. You may be thinking of that
At the end of the day, the Miggy contract will rival the Pujols contract as one of the worst of all time.
Chris Davis has entered chat…
He still averaged about 145 hits in 600 plate appearances between 2019-2020. Even if he hits about .240 and gets 300 at bats in the next 2 seasons, he’ll get to 3000 hits easily.
Technically, $94 million. $30 this and $32 each of the next two. That said, the Tigers could see if he’d take a buyout but … that ain’t happening. They could eat the contract on an unconditional release, I suppose.
he just needs 12 HRS and 186 hits he can do it but might take a pay cut and 2 more yrs.. It be more wise if he just DHs soo he can stay healthy
Why would he need to take a pay cut? His contract runs out in 2023, they’re paying him regardless. They’re not cutting him when they owe him so much. As long as he can waddle out of the dugout and DH 4x a night he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Sportsfantatic probably thinks the contract is done after 2021 and not after 2023.
They probably didn’t read the other comments that corrected this mistake.
With the IL list continuing to grow can we just consider April part of spring training this year and start the season on May 1st? Damn.
Losing Julio Teheran is the real news ala Matt Moore 2019.
If Miguel Cabrera plays 110 games, that would also be news… and yes, he is still too fat.
Leave it to the Tigers to call up a DH type. Renato Nunez does not deserves a call-up. He was terrible in the spring and has less defensive value than Miggy.
Raid the LAA MiLB system. They have good players that have performed so well for so long they are no longer considered prospects. The owner pre-dictates the players who get called up such as Joe Adell while ignoring the better players.
Man Matt Moore… forgot he even played for us
Three years to hit 12 HR’s and get 130 hits. I think he’ll make it
teheran to 60 day?? man we are screwed. what really worries me is the innings limit on mize and skubal. Come August our rotation will consist of boyd, turnbull, urena, fulmer,norris. And that’s barring any more injuries or sell off trades… yikes
Hopefully if these young guys can only pitch 4-5 innings each time they could make it through close to the end of the season. Not like we’re gonna be playing meaningful baseball in September anyways
Imagine the numbers he could’ve put up had he focused on conditioning throughout his career? Looking at him as a rookie back in 2003 you wouldn’t recognize he’s the same player.
Everyone talks about Albert’s contract with Angel’s. Miggies contract has got to be the worst contract ever 31 million for a player that hasn’t hit more than 16 homers since 2016. He cant hit field or run. I hope he gets better so at least Detroit can feel they got something for that money even if it is a WAY below average player
It’s sad that guys like Miggy and Pujols don’t have enough pride to just walk away.
It’s way past time.
It would be different if their teams had a shot at a pennant or they actually needed the money the way guys like Mantle and Mays did.
Why does it matter to you? These guys are still able to compete against guys half their age and clearly enjoy playing. If they have enough love for this game to keep playing when they aren’t succeeding as much as they are used to then more power to them. I know as a tiger fan Miggy is one of the most fun players to watch every game, even now
Agree Tigersfan…people complain about contracts and this and that. Miggy has been a bright spot for Detroit sports over the years…bad contract or not…and I for one am glad we kept him.
Miggy’s contract is for what he did before he signed it. Everyone new that his body type would not age well, but had the Tigers let him walk in his prime, AFTER watching Max Scherzer walk away, the fans would have stayed away in droves. I don’t mind watching Miggy chase history during the rebuild. Hell, his home run on opening day a long with a terrific defensive play at first will probably be highlights of another very long season for us Tiger fans. Miggy isn’t the problem. Look to ownership for that
These guys are walking advertisements for not buying a player’s mid/late 30’s years in advance
I just want him to stay healthy, damn.
The Tigers should bench Cabrera and make it clear to him that he has no chance of making 3000 hits or 500 home runs under his current contract, since he won’t play. After a while, the pressure would build on him to re-negotiate to a more sensible contract that might even allow him to be traded to a contender. Under the current contract, the Tigers are doomed to be worst in MLB for the next 3 years. Their situation can’t get any worse by benching him.
Please give me the number to your dealer.
Miggy has ZERO trade value; in fact, you couldn’t give him away for nothing.
It’s a disgrace how badly he’s taken care of himself. 30m a year and he feels no obligation to take care of himself. The tigers should just eat the rest of his contract because he’s really not adding anything to the team at this point. Loyalty is a 2 way street, and he’s done nothing to hold up his end of the bargain. He’s never been a leader, and went out and got drunk before a huge game about a decade ago and had scratches all over his face. He’s only playing for 500 and 3000 right now. I will also say Illitch was very dumb to sign him long term (especially when his contract wasn’t up). It would’ve been much smarter to give the money to scherzer, and I did say this at the time.