Last-minute Tigers lineup scratch provides another injury concern for Yankees series

The Detroit Tigers keep getting hit with one piece of bad news after another. They started the season without Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Pérez for the outfield, and without Alex Cobb for the rotation and Ty Madden for the bullpen. They lost Gleyber Torres last week, and then lost Manuel Margot to knee inflammation on Tuesday morning ahead of the Tigers' second game against the New York Yankees.

The pitching staff is still solid without Cobb, Madden, and Alex Lange, but the lineup and defense are definitely hurting. Torres' injury moved Colt Keith back to second base, but Keith has made a couple of serious blunders since transitioning back that have started to put his future in the majors in question.

The outfield will be a puzzle for AJ Hinch to sort out; Justyn-Henry Malloy has been effective as a DH since he was called back up, but he's not an ideal defensive option for right field.

Following the Margot news, the Tigers were dealt yet another blow. Jake Rogers was scratched from Tuesday's lineup about an hour ahead of the first pitch with oblique tightness, leaving Dillon Dingler to fill in and catch Tarik Skubal's third start of the season. The Tigers followed up to officially move Rogers to the 10-day IL and select veteran catcher Tomás Nido in his place. Pérez was also moved to the 60-day to accommodate Nido on the 40-man.

Jake Rogers scratched from Tigers' lineup last-minute with oblique tightness, moved to IL

Rogers caught every single one of Skubal's starts last year during his Cy Young-winning campaign, and he was even thanked for it with a brand new Rolex complete with an inscription on the back. For the superstitious among us, this isn't a good sign for Tuesday's start.

Nido, who signed a minor league deal with the club, had a solid spring training, batting .250 with a .812 OPS. The Tigers have long favored a tag team behind the plate, and Nido's experience made him an easy first choice.

Luckily, Dingler hasn't disappointed at the plate through six games; he's batting .316 with a .929 OPS, a homer, and six RBI to tie with Spencer Torkelson and Trey Sweeney for second-most among Tigers batters, while Rogers has struggled more. Of course, losing Rogers is far from ideal, especially when it comes to his relationship with Skubal, and hopefully Rogers will be able to come off the IL as soon as he's eligible.

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