Javier Baez Out With Back Injury
5 months agoDetroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (back) will not start in Sunday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers after being removed from Saturday's contest early with a lower-back injury. The struggling Baez will now have the All-Star break to rest up and could return next Friday for the start of the second half of the season. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican infielder has declined in every year since joining the Tigers in 2022 and will finish the first half with a putrid .179/.215/.244 slash line with a .459 OPS, only one home run, 25 RBI, six stolen bases and 43 strikeouts in 214 plate appearances for Detroit. He's become unplayable in all mixed fantasy leagues and hasn't shown any signs of a turnaround. Zach McKinstry will start at shortstop on Sunday and will bat in the seven-hole to close out the first half. UPDATE: There are no immediate plans to put Baez on the injured list. Manager A.J. Hinch said Baez was in better spirits on Sunday.
Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive - Evan Woodbery