The Detroit Tigers got a rare dose of good news Thursday afternoon.
In a season in which simply getting over .500 has seemed like a Herculean task, the Tigers found out that No. 2 starter Doug Fister does not have a serious injury to his rib-cage cartilage and is expected to be out a shorter period of time than the month he missed when he was initially injured.
That's a relief for the Tigers, since Fister has been their second-best pitcher since joining the team at last year's trading deadline. With a heralded group of pitching prospects struggling in Toledo, Detroit can't afford to be without Fister for very long.
Fister originally was injured in his first start of the season (April 7) and sat out the next month. After he returned May 7, he pitched extremely well in his first four starts, posting a 2.10 ERA with 19 strikeouts and only six walks. But given Detroit's anemic offensive performance this month, it isn't a surprise he went 0-2 in the four games.
On May 28, he struggled for the first time all season, allowing six runs on 11 hits in five innings of a loss to the Boston Red Sox. Two days later, the team announced Fister was being returned to disabled list after aggravating the injury.
Fister underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam Thursday. Trainer Kevin Rand told media members in Boston that the results showed Fister had the same problem he did in April, but it should not keep sideline him as long this time.
During Fister's first stint on the disabled list, he was replaced by Adam Wilk. Wilk went 0-3 in his three starts, posting a sky-high 8.18 ERA. That took him out of the running to replace Fister this time, so the job has fallen to Casey Crosby.
Crosby, who will make his major league debut this weekend against the Yankees, is one of the young pitching prospects in Toledo. Crosby is being called up because he has struggled less than the rest of them.
In 50-2/3 innings over nine starts, the 23-year-old has posted a 4.26 ERA and walked 26 batters, but he has also posted 57 strikeouts. If he struggles that badly with his control against the famously patient Yankees, he'll be in big trouble.
The Tigers are hoping Crosby will improve his command without losing the speed and movement that has let him pile up strikeouts.
Regardless, Crosby is getting this opportunity only out of desperation. Andy Oliver's control has been even worse, and top prospect Jacob Turner is still building up his stamina after suffering shoulder problems in spring training.
That's why, given the fears that Fister might have seriously injured himself, the good news from the MRI caused more than one sigh of relief in the vistors clubhouse at Fenway Park.
