Tigers fans had brief scare after Max Clark, Justyn-Henry Malloy collided in outfield

Justyn-Henry Malloy probably would've been fighting for a spot on the Tigers' Opening Day roster if it weren't for all of the injuries sustained to other outfielders; now, he's basically a lock to make the bench. Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling falling prey to injury dealt huge blows to the roster, but it'll give Wenceel Pérez and Malloy chances in the outfield.

With the Tigers' staff already looking fragile, it's imperative that they keep the rest of their guys healthy before Thursday, when they kick off their season in LA against the Dodgers. Vierling has made some progress from his injury — he's begun a hitting progression and will move on to shoulder strengthening exercises — but Meadows' nerve issue is far more nebulous.

It didn't help when Malloy and No. 1 prospect Max Clark had a scary moment in the outfield on Sunday, when they both gave chase to a fly ball hit by Bryson Stott in the bottom of the fifth inning of a Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Clark came in a long way from center field and slid for the ball, but didn't turn his head to watch Malloy barreling in from left. Clark's slide completely torpedoed Malloy's legs, sending him into the air. He landed nastily — on his back and maybe even neck, and both were left laying on the outfield grass as Stott came around to score an easy inside-the-parker.

Nasty collision between Max Clark and Justyn-Henry Malloy led to Bryson Stott inside-the-parker in Tigers-Phillies match

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the game, "Luckily, everybody's fine, but it's no fun to see a collision," and Clark echoed fans' concerns, saying, "I'm just glad Jay-Hen is OK. Really, that's all I care about. I'd rather go down than him at this current moment, especially with what’s going on."

The Tigers made a last-minute signing with Manuel Margot, who was released by the Brewers after failing to break camp with them, to alleviate some concerns in the outfield. Margot split his time between all three outfield positions last year with the Twins, which will allow Hinch to use him pretty interchangeably with Pérez, Malloy, and Riley Greene while Meadows and Vierling rehab.

Malloy's drop after getting torpedoed by Clark did look pretty nasty, and the Tigers are incredibly fortunate that he came out on the other end okay. While they might've had some depth options to cover for him — spring standout Jahmai Jones comes to mind — the Tigers just really can't afford another injury right now.