Tiger Bullpen News and Updates

Posted by Lynn Henning on Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 5:14 PM
The bullpen is turning tense

Fernando Rodney needs to get healthy, quickly, or the Tigers could be looking at serious trouble in the back end of their bullpen.

Rodney's tendinitis has been, by a landslide, the most serious health issue during the first three weeks of spring camp. Without Rodney, the Tigers have no legitimate set-up man. Without a reliable set-up man, a team is as crippled as if it has no closer.

When the Tigers bullpen already had lost Joel Zumaya for the first months of the season, there was no cushion for the back-end relievers. It was destined to be Rodney (he is very good when he is healthy and the reverse when his tendinitis has kicked up) and whatever pitcher the Tigers decided they could find during spring training.

But now that Francisco Cruceta has been held hostage with his visa problems, the Tigers are left to hope someone emerges. It's a dicey scenario when Rodney hasn't yet pitched in a game and threw only lightly Tuesday.

This is by no means an isolated situation. Most teams are dealing with bullpen issues. Most teams have a legion of pitchers in camp, hoping that a couple of surprises emerge. The Tigers, for their part, have some talented arms in camp.

But until Denny Bautista can reliably throw strikes, or until Preston Larrison can turn his sinker into a big-league job, the Tigers are left to hope a couple of things clear up in a hurry.

Rodney needs to get healthy, once and for all. It would also be helpful if Cruceta were freed by the U.S. consulate in the Dominican Republic.

Three weeks is a long time to be wrapped in red tape.