Zimmermann lands on IL with cervical spasm

DETROIT – Just when Jordan Zimmermann seemed to be finding a workable repertoire of pitches again, an all-too-familiar injury bug popped again. The veteran right-hander was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with what is being called a cervical spasm, similar to the neck and back issues that have plagued him throughout his Tigers tenure.

Much like he did for those neck and back problems in the past, Zimmermann will undergo a nerve block injection to alleviate the symptoms, with hopes of getting him back to pitching freely. If all goes well, the injury stint should be minimal, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.

“He’ll probably miss one start [with] 10 days off,” Gardenhire said.

The nerve block injections have unfortunately become a regular part of Zimmermann’s regimen, having had one at some point each year to alleviate tightness in the back and neck. He had his last injection around the All-Star break last season, went 13 days between starts, then struggled over the second half to a 5.27 ERA and 20 home runs over 13 starts and 68 1/3 innings.

Given his history, Zimmermann anticipated needing another injection this season. The way he has felt since his June return from an elbow strain and forearm tightness made him optimistic about going without one the rest of the way. Zimmermann wasn’t available before the Tigers' game against the White Sox on Monday, and there was no explanation what might have happened in his start on Sunday at Texas to cause a cervical spasm.

Zimmermann had to duck quickly to get his head out of the way of a Shin-Soo Choo comebacker in the fifth inning Sunday, but he stayed in the game to complete that inning and the next, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.

He showed no outward sign of injury while talking with reporters after the game.

The weekend trip to Texas put Zimmermann in position to check in with the Dallas-based neck and back specialist who has worked with him through his recent problems.

To fill Zimmermann’s roster spot for now, the Tigers recalled reliever Eduardo Jimenez, who had just been optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday to make way for Spencer Turnbull’s return. Detroit also activated righty reliever Victor Alcantara from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Toledo, where he had just thrown twice on a rehab assignment. Alcantara had been out since July 24 with a right middle finger contusion.

Zimmermann’s injured list stint means the Tigers will need another move to call up a starter later this week, having already returned Turnbull from the injured list to start Monday. With Daniel Norris and Drew VerHagen slated to start Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Tigers will need at least a spot starter for Friday’s game against the Royals.

That could be an opportunity for Kyle Funkhouser, who returned to Triple-A Toledo with five scoreless innings on two hits and six strikeouts Sunday. Funkhouser, the Tigers’ 18th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was on watch for a potential callup before his midsummer struggles landed him in Double-A Erie to get back in form. The Tigers could also use Gregory Soto as an opener.