Detroit Tigers 2016 Season Review: Nick Castellanos

On August 6 in a game against the New York Mets, pitcher Logan Verrett hit Nick Castellanos and fractured his fifth metacarpal. From the moment that Castellanos was hit, it was clear that he was in pain. He took his base and ended up scoring after a Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit moved him to second base and an Ian Kinsler single bring him home.

Too Many Men on the DL

That was the last that fans saw of Castellanos on the field until September 27 when he returned to the plate against the Cleveland Indians. Casty hit a double and eventually scored a run when Tyler Collins hit a triple.

The non-displaced fracture put Castellanos on the DL for the first time in his career. When he went on the DL, he was hitting a slash of .286/.331/.500 with an OPS of .831. He finished the season with 18 home runs, 117 hits, and 25 doubles with 58 RBIs.

No injury is good, but this one came at an ironic time. On June 16, Nick’s close friend, J.D. Martinez broke his elbow in a game against the Kansas City Royals. He was on the DL until August 3 when he made his return with the unforgettable pinch-hit home run in the game against the Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox. Just as the Tigers seemed to get the team back together, three days later, Castellanos made his way to the DL. This meant that the Tigers had two key players on the Disabled List for half of June, all of July, all but three days of August, and all but five days of September.

Next: Prospects to Watch in 2017

With the quality play that Nick Castellanos delivered in 2016, a healthy Castellanos is certain to give even more to the fans in 2017.