Things are not going well for the Detroit Tigers. Earlier this evening, Justin Verlander left the game with right shoulder soreness after just one inning. Anibal Sanchez was placed on the disabled list Sunday and is expected to miss up to four weeks. Joakim Soria also wound up on the DL yesterday. The fickle injury bug has even made its way to the bat boy.
As he was running off the field, it looked like he was trying to catch something when he just ate it. He remained on the ground for a while as Detroit trainers looked him over and eventually helped him to the dugout.
Godspeed, Bat Boy, but yours was not the most distressing injury of the night. Verlander, who's been more like Shmustin Shmerlander this year, admitted he had the " worst stuff of [his] career" tonight. He got roughed up in the first inning and Brad Ausmus actually had him checked out then, but he continued. He was due to bat in the second inning and it looked at first like they were going to take him out right then and have Max Scherzer pinch hit for him.
He wound up taking the at-bat and put down a sacrifice bunt and then went directly into the clubhouse. Justin Miller replaced him. Verlander, who's been remarkably healthy his entire career and never missed a start due to injury, will have an MRI tomorrow.