Jones, VerHagen likely to miss start of season

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers were hours away from finalizing their roster. They now have two new holes to plug before Opening Day next Thursday, including a potentially big loss in center field, where JaCoby Jones' diving attempt in Saturday’s 8-7 win over the Rays resulted in a left shoulder sprain.

Jones underwent an MRI exam Saturday to determine the severity of the injury. He’s expected to open the season on the 10-day injured list.

“I would say that's a high probability right now,” manager Ron Gardenhire said, “since our season's not very far away, and these things don't heal very quick.”

He won’t be alone. Reliever Drew VerHagen, who just this week returned from tightness around his right shoulder, is expected to go on the 10-day IL with a right forearm strain diagnosed after he pitched Friday night against the Braves.

VerHagen spent Saturday morning undergoing an MRI exam, which showed inflammation.

“It’s not anything too awful serious,” Gardenhire said, “but he definitely has a strained forearm. He’s probably going to end up on the [IL], but you can backdate it. It’s not going to be a 15-day thing, but it might be half of that. We just can’t start with him tender like this.”

Jones went after a ball in the sixth inning and hit the outfield grass hard after missing the ball. He left the field on his own power with athletic trainer Matt Rankin, but was clearly trying not to move his shoulder.

It was a ball that Jones was right to chase, Gardenhire said. Still, it resulted in the kind of injury that is a manager’s worst nightmare in the waning days of Spring Training.

“You finally think you have it all figured out, how the roster's going to break down,” Gardenhire said. “And we were pretty content with it, pretty happy. We've got role guys. And then this.”

The loss of Jones will greatly impact the Tigers’ roster plans ahead of Opening Day next Thursday in Toronto. Mikie Mahtook and Niko Goodrum have both had time in center this spring as potential backup options to Jones, but a lengthy absence could force Detroit to consider more everyday options, a topic Gardenhire and general manager Al Avila discussed after Saturday’s game.

“We have to obviously go searching here on our best routes on what player works to fill a hole,” Gardenhire said. “Mahtook's going to be out there, of course. Goody's going to be out there, of course. That's what we have in-house right now, and whoever else we decide to bring up here to fill a hole will be another outfielder probably.”

One player who will not apparently be called up is center fielder Daz Cameron, who made a big impression on Tigers officials and fans alike this spring before he was sent to the Minors on March 14. However, Cameron isn’t on the 40-man roster yet, and the 22-year-old has less than a month of play above the Double-A level.

“The plan is for Daz to play in Triple-A, let him run them down down there for a while, and then we'll see how everything goes here,” Gardenhire said. “We want to give him time. He's been rushed through a little bit, and they don't want to continue that rush. They don't think he's ready for that yet.”

The Tigers do not have any other true center fielders on their 40-man roster.

The fact that the Tigers open the season on the road at Rogers Centre and Yankee Stadium, two ballparks with easier center fields to play at than spacious Comerica Park, could work to the Tigers’ advantage. But with young Christin Stewart in left field and Nicholas Castellanos in right, defensive range is seen as crucial. Jones led Major League outfielders last year with 21 Defensive Runs Saved, according to Fangraphs, and finished 19th among Major League outfielders with seven Outs Above Average last year, according to Statcast,

“We have some inexperience on the left side, and you have a guy who's still working his way through it on the right side,” Gardenhire said, “although I think Nick has really made tons of huge strides in the outfield. I think he's really moving well, which is big. But that's a very big field we have, and a guy like JaCoby is huge out there. He protects both sides because he covers so much in the middle. It's not going to be easy.”