Tigers rookie hits IL with oblique strain that could end important development season

Tigers rookies have been a godsend for a team that really has nothing left to fight for this season. Detroit is in "nothing to lose" mode after falling out of postseason contention, and the team is really just trying to give their young players some more playing time to gear up and be prepared to go again next year.

Colt Keith, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Wenceel Pérez, and even Parker Meadows, despite a demotion to Triple-A and an injury, have been doing the bulk of the work for this Tigers team, and they're fighting the good fight for Scott Harris and management's approach to roster building. These Tigers don't buy, they develop.

However, Pérez was hit with some bad news this weekend when he left the Tigers game against the Giants on Friday with abdominal tightness in the fourth inning. AJ Hinch said postgame that concern was relatively high, "He didn't swing the last time up because he felt it during that at-bat. He came to the dugout and said he needed to come out. ... it doesn't look great."

Sure enough, Pérez promptly went to the IL, but with an oblique strain, and Hinch couldn't guarantee that he would be back before the end of the season.

Tigers rookie standout Wenceel Pérez went onto the IL with an oblique strain

Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press pinpointed the moment when Pérez sustained the injury; in the top of the fourth, he swung at a fastball from Robbie Ray and touched the left side of his torso, indicating the abdominal tightness he was initially taken out of the game for.

The Tigers recalled none other than Akil Baddoo to take over outfield duties, presumably through the rest of the season. Baddoo is one of three Quadruple-A players the Tigers have had to resort to throughout the season; Ryan Vilade has been up since late July and has been hitting very badly, while Ryan Kreidler is in reserve in case of infield injuries.

Pérez has been slumping a bit as of late, with a .185 batting average over his last seven games, but he was also responsible for the Jim Leyland Day walk-off against the Royals to complete a comeback victory. He has nine homers and 32 RBI to show for his 97 games in the majors so far, and it's a gutting update for him that his season is likely coming to a close this way.