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Miguel Cabrera's recovery from ankle surgery could linger into 2015 season
The Detroit Tigers season ended earlier then they'd hoped and in very disappointing fashion after they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. Now their offseason is getting off to a pretty rough start too after the team learned that Miguel Cabrera will not be able to resume baseball activities for at least three months following surgery on his right ankle.
Though resurgent in September, Cabrera wasn't his MVP caliber self for most of the second half of the season. His lack of production (three home runs and 16 RBIs from the All-Star break until Sept. 1) can be attributed in part to a bone spur in his right ankle, which was bothersome enough that manager Brad Ausmus considered giving Cabrera multiple days off in late August even after the team had fallen behind the Kansas City Royals in the standings.
The Tigers knew offseason surgery was a distinct possibility, but nobody was anticipating that in addition to the bone spur, doctors would find a stress fracture in the navicular bone on the top of his foot. Doctors were forced to place two screws in his foot to stabilize the fracture, which changed his offseason outlook significantly.
The Detroit Tigers do not know for sure when Miguel Cabrera will resume baseball activities or play in his first game. They cannot say with 100 percent certainty that he will be ready for the start of spring training or even opening day.
But general manager Dave Dombrowski is certain of one thing: Cabrera showed some extreme toughness by playing through an ankle injury that was significantly worse than it was believed to be.
"He is as tough as you can possibly be," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "They cannot even believe once they went in there and looked at it that he could play with the ankle that he had. It's worse than what we ever would have anticipated."
Cabrera had the operation on Wednesday, so that would set his three-month evaluation for late January. Depending on the news there, he could either begin baseball activities about three weeks ahead of spring training, or be recommended more rest. Either way, his season preparation would be well behind schedule, and more rest could push his full recovery into the regular season.
The Cabrera waiting game will be an unwanted subplot in an already important offseason for general manager Dave Dombrowski. With Victor Martinez and Max Scherzer likely to test the free agent market and a bullpen that needs an overhaul, Dombrowski has plenty to consider. Any uncertainty over Cabrera's recovery only adds to his plate and could place some urgency on re-signing Martinez, who's reportedly looking for a four-year deal.
The Tigers championship window isn't closed yet. Not with Justin Verlander, David Price, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello definitely in the mix, but the Kansas City Royals postseason run coupled with another competitive season from the Cleveland Indians makes it clear winning a fifth straight AL Central title will take some work. Avoiding a slow start will be critical in that equation, and not having Cabrera or Martinez in the lineup in April makes them vulnerable.
It's going to be a challenge for Dombrowski to build his roster with this extra hurdle now in his way. Can he rise to the occasion again, or will the circumstances finally push Detroit down the ladder in 2015?
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
