Gleyber Torres injury highlights another free agency nightmare for Tigers

When the Detroit Tigers signed Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $15 million contract, they were, at the very least, expecting durability. The slugger missed just 34 games total over his final three seasons with the New York Yankees.

But apparently they couldn't even get that. On top of some defensive issues in the early going, Torres has been placed on the injured list after just two games of action with his new team. In a corresponding move, the Tigers recalled Justyn-Henry Malloy, who is with the team in Seattle preparing for a series against the Mariners.

Torres went down with an oblique strain that he suffered Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After slugging a home run, Torres winced as he exited the batter's box and eventually came out of the game. He wasn't in the lineup for the series finale on Saturday, prompting concerns about his health.

For anybody holding out hope that this might be minor, oblique injuries famously take an extensive period of time for recovery. Typically, these land in the 4-6 week range, but we'll wait for updates on that front before we draw any definitive conclusions.

For now, Malloy, who was wielding a hot bat at Triple-A to start the season, will get reps and look to continue his impressive spring training.

Tigers News: Gleyber Torres hits injured list and Justyn-Henry Malloy is recalled

All hope is not lost, though. While the Tigers are dealing with far too many injuries for comfort right now, Torres hitting the shelf hardly affects much at the moment. Now, manager AJ Hinch can move Colt Keith back to second base and keep Spencer Torkelson's hot bat in the lineup with some first base reps. That allows a bit more flexibility with the DH role.

Not to mention, Malloy took first base reps this spring, so Hinch can work with a platoon situation to keep guys well rested. Though Torres' absence eats into the team's depth, Detroit made sure it was well prepared by fostering versatility up and down the roster.

However, the could very well be regretting coughing up $15 million for a second baseman whose defense is unreliable alongside some very troubling postseason numbers dating back to 2021. They couldn't have foresaw injury issues taking hold, but hindsight suggests the money could've been spent more wisely. That's $30 million total on Torres and pitcher Alex Cobb, and both are out for the foreseeable future.