Detroit Tigers Attended Joel Hanrahan’s Throwing Session on Thursday

Apr 8, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan (52) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-1. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

According to MLB.com’s Jason Beck, the Detroit Tigers were in attendance today as reliever Joel Hanrahan threw for teams.

Hanrahan, who went under the knife for Tommy John Surgery last May, also threw for teams back in January. He’s probably not yet ready to return to full action – at least according to sources in this NY Daily News article – but should probably be ready for to go in the next couple of months.

The Tigers clearly still need help in the bullpen. Relief numbers aren’t as bad as it maybe seems: 4.46 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and 3.83 xFIP, but it gets worse if you remove Drew Smyly’s six scoreless innings from the totals (0.00 ERA, 1.54 FIP, 2.70 xFIP, 30% K-rate).

Hanrahan, who has served mostly as a closer the last three years, might be wooed by a team like the New York Mets who would be giving him a chance to take over the closer’s role, but he’d be a nice arm for the Tigers to take a look at. Not that he’d necessarily be a sure-thing upgrade in the late innings – coming off arm surgery and all that – but Detroit could certainly use another option.

No word yet on how he looked during the throwing session or how interested the Tigers seem to be at this point, but it could be a story to follow in the coming days or weeks.