Detroit Tigers: Division title run snapped, Anthony Gose versus lefties, Anibal Sanchez’s shoulder

It’s official. The Detroit Tigers are not going to win the American League Central.

If Detroit goes on an incredible run the last two and a half weeks of the season, the Tigers will finish with 84 wins, and if somehow the Kansas City Royals lose the rest of their games, they will still have 85.

Forget about playoffs, in order to finish .500, Detroit will have to finish the season 15-3.

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Getting right-hander Anibal Sanchez back in the rotation would help the Tigers win some of those 15 games, but now that doesn’t appear likely. Sanchez said he felt shoulder tightness at the end of his bullpen session before Monday’s game. He will pay a visit to orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, but it is highly doubtful that Tigers fans see Sanchez again in 2015.

Detroit hopes to have Sanchez back healthy for the start of the 2016 season. They also hope that center fielder Anthony Gose can learn how to hit left-handed pitchers by then. Gose is hitting just .155 with a .234 on-base percentage in 64 plate appearances versus southpaws this season.

Detroit Tigers beat Twins, but four-year reign atop division officially ends – Chris Iott, MLive.com

"Math now agrees with what common sense has been saying for several weeks: the Detroit Tigers will not win the American League Central Division.Victor Martinez had three hits and knocked in two runs Tuesday night as the Detroit Tigers earned a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. But a 2-0 win by the Kansas City Royals over the Cleveland Indians guaranteed that the first-place Royals will finish ahead of the Tigers this season.The Royals have 85 victories. If the Tigers were to miraculously go undefeated from this point forward, they would finish with 84."

Sanchez’s shoulder flares up; next stop: Dr. Andrews – Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press

"“The same soreness,” Sanchez said. “I thought it was something that was going to go away as soon as I was getting my arm warm but just before I finished, like three pitches before the end, I felt bad and there was no reason to continue and I stopped right away.”Sanchez has been on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain since Aug. 19. He threw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday, reporting no soreness, and was scheduled to throw 35 pitches in his bullpen session on Monday.Both manager Brad Ausmus and pitching coach Jeff Jones don’t believe the injury is serious but both admitted it’s hard to foresee a scenario in which Sanchez pitches again this season."

Gose has work to do against left-handers – Chris McCosky, The Detroit News

"They would love to pencil in Anthony Gose as the everyday center fielder for 2016. For that to happen, they have to believe he will hit left-handed pitching a whole lot better than he has this year.“For sure,” manager Brad Ausmus said.Gose is hitting .155 with a .234 on-base percentage in 64 plate appearances against lefties this season. To be fair, that’s a small sample size. He platooned with right-handed hitting Rajai Davis until the end of July when Yoenis Cespedes was traded.Since then, he’s gotten more work against left-handers and has shown improvement."

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