Tigers reassure fans after rough IL news with fourth inning slugfest vs. Yankees

The Detroit Tigers dropped two bombs on fans early on Tuesday, ahead of their second game against the Yankees at Comerica. Manuel Margot was moved to the 10-day IL with knee inflammation, and then Jake Rogers joined him there with oblique tightness after being scratched from the Tigers' lineup at the last minute.

Pitcher Brewer Hicklen and catcher Tomás Nido replaced both on the roster, and the latter gets the Tigers back to their favored co-catching strategy. However, but the outfield is going to be a bit tricky. Riley Greene got his third start in center field over Ryan Kreidler despite the Tigers' hesitation to move him from left field, while Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry were in left and right respectively.

Tarik Skubal got the ball for his third start of the season and without Rogers as a battery mate for the first time since he embarked on his Cy Young-winning season last year. It was a troubling foot for the Tigers to get off on as they sought out a series win against the best team in the AL East, but it didn't take all that long for the offense to reassure fans that the Tigers would be able to pull through.

In the bottom of the fourth, facing Yankees starter Carlos Carrasco, Spencer Torkelson came up for his second at-bat after just barely missing a homer and ending up with a ground-rule double in the top of the second. Colt Keith hit a grounder to second for the first out on the inning, but Zach McKinstry and Dillon Dingler followed Torkelson's lead to put up a three-spot in the fourth on a solo homer apiece.

Spencer Torkelson, Zach McKinstry, Dillon Dingler power Tigers' offense to massive fourth inning vs. Yankees

Carrasco was replaced by Ryan Yarbrough in the bottom of the fifth with one out, but Kerry "Barry Bonds" Carpenter wanted to join in on the fun. He saw a sweeper just under 70 MPH and in the bottom of the zone from Yarbrough, and he hammered it over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the season.

Skubal, meanwhile, ended up looking exactly as fans expect him to, even without Rogers. He gave up two hits in the first inning to Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice, but otherwise took the Yankees down in order through the fifth with five strikeouts.

Margot, Rogers, and all the rest of the Tigers' injuries are still looming, but this team has already proven that they can make up for the losses.

More Detroit Tigers News from Motor City Bengals