Detroit Tigers: Putrid offense blame, big problems, DL returns

The Detroit Tigers occasionally find a fleeting ray of offense, as they did in a losing effort on Saturday night, but we’ve all grown accustomed to the offense being just bad.

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Our first two links explore this topic to see who is to blame for the bad offense and how the team has some big problems that they seemingly cannot or are failing to address.

Who is to blame? Well, the blame has to fall on the players for taking dumb at-bats, failing to hit average and substandard pitching and seeming failing to get batter. Occasionally a symbolic move must be made to get things on track. You can’t cut or demote all of the hitters, but you could fire the hitting coach.

It seems that Wally Joyner is not helping his batters break out of their respective slumps therefore he is failing at his job, no?

Manager Brad Ausmus doesn’t seem to have it in him to have a blow out dressing down of the players after another loss. The Tigers are a veteran team, so perhaps they would not respond to a Jim Leyland-like “you guys stink” rant, however it is apparent the soft Ausmus approach is not working consistently on this veteran club.

A new approach is needed.

Finally, while the DL stints of Alex Avila and Victor Martinez had passed the 15-day mark of their status on the injury report, neither appears ready for an imminent return, though each could be back within a couple more weeks if all goes well.

Who do we blame for Tigers’ putrid offense? – Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press

"Ausmus can’t do much about that. He can offer tips, sure. He can encourage. He can meet with the hitting coach, Wally Joyner, and he can shake up the lineup a bit — he already has.He can give his speedsters the freedom to run, as he did Rajai Davis on Friday. But Davis got caught attempting to steal third, with Kinsler batting and Miguel Cabrera on deck.Then again, Kinsler isn’t hitting. And while Cabrera is making his usual contact, he hasn’t produced the consistent power just yet. So off Davis went, in search of a spark, in search of something to drag this team from the fog."

Detroit Tigers have much bigger problems than figuring out how to handle Hernan Perez – James Schmehl, MLive

"The past few weeks, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has defended his team’s troublesome offense, telling reporters on a near daily basis that this offense simply isn’t doing what this offense should be doing.The bats will eventually wake up, he’s repeated. It’s only a matter of time.But at what point should Ausmus no longer hold his team’s offense to such high standards? At what point should he accept that those explosive bats might not be quite as explosive as he — and everyone else in baseball — was led to believe?"

Tigers’ V-Mart, Avila inch closer to return from DL – Anthony Fenech, Freep

"The Tigers’ designated hitter is rehabilitating near his home in Orlando, Fla. from left knee inflammation, which forced him to the 15-day disabled list on May 19.He is expected to be with the team this week in Detroit.Avila, meanwhile, “Said he feels great,” Ausmus said, and possibly could start baseball activities this week.He has been on the 15-day disabled list with what is termed “a loose body in left knee,” since May 8, but, Ausmus said, Avila avoided surgery because doctors weren’t convinced that there was a loose body in there.“The only way they were going to know if it was loose or not was if they go in and under surgery, see if it was but they weren’t convinced that it was, that’s why they tried this treatment route,” Ausmus said."

Next: Verlander could be returning at perfect time

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