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Detroit Tigers put Gio Urshela on injured list (hamstring), recall Buddy Kennedy
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- Detroit Tigers put Gio Urshela on injured list (hamstring), recall Buddy Kennedy
MINNEAPOLIS — Detroit Tigers third baseman Gio Urshela felt tightness in his hamstring before crossing first base while running hard on a ground ball in the second inning of Friday's 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
"Two steps before the bag," Urshela said.
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He left the game with right hamstring tightness .
The Tigers placed Urshela on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. Infielder Buddy Kennedy , whom the Tigers claimed off waivers in spring training, was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to take Urshela's spot.
"Lower extremity, soft tissue injuries are generally hard to avoid the IL," manager A.J. Hinch said. "The wheels got put in motion after the game, and obviously, we've had our own level of injuries in the minor leagues as well. Luckily, we have huge depth, and Buddy will be here by game time."
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Urshela said he expects to miss a couple of weeks.
He also said he has a Grade 1 strain.
"It's only a Grade 1, I think," Urshela said. "Probably a couple of weeks."
Detroit Tigers third base Gio Urshela (13) catches the ball for a fly out against Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Back in 2021, Urshela suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain with the New York Yankees and missed more than three weeks. He was on the injured list from Aug. 3 through Aug. 26, including a rehab assignment.
Urshela, now 32, is hitting .298 with one walk and 10 strikeouts in 18 games with the Tigers in 2024. His power numbers are underwhelming, but he remains valuable because of his contact skills.
"I've felt really good helping the team win some close games," Urshela said. "Hopefully, I can continue like that when I get back."
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He has played 125 innings at third base and one inning at first base this season.
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The Tigers now have two players, both infielders who play third base, on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
"It's next man up," Hinch said. "It's the reality. There's no way to overcome it other than other guys take the at-bats, take the reps and do something positive to help us win. They're tough losses when you lose guys that you planned on playing a lot, but we are not the first team and we will not be the last team to deal with it."
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Infielder Andy Ibáñez has been on the injured list since April 8 with a left hamstring strain , but he isn't going to be activated in the coming days. The 31-year-old traveled to Lakeland, Florida, to continue his rehab at the spring training facility this weekend and will rejoin the Tigers in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday for the three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays .
That doesn't mean the Tigers will activate Ibáñez.
Ibáñez is completing hitting and defense drills every day, but he isn't running without restrictions yet. He needs to complete a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo before returning to the Tigers.
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Buddy Kennedy arrives
After an early morning flight, Kennedy arrived at Target Field just a couple of hours before Saturday's game and followed Peter Warden, the director of team travel, to the visitor's clubhouse.
Kennedy, a right-handed hitter, has played second base (82 innings), third base (36⅔ innings), first base (eight innings) and shortstop (two innings) across 15 games in Triple-A Toledo.
"He's been crushing lefties," Hinch said. "He can play second, he can play third. He's got a little bit of time up here, so he won't be overwhelmed. We're very fortunate to have him because we're a couple infielders thin, in the minor leagues, too. We've been hit hard in that department."
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Detroit Tigers third baseman Buddy Kennedy (70) makes a bare-handed play in the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
The 25-year-old hit .288 with seven doubles, two home runs, six walks and 15 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances with the Mud Hens, including a .368 batting average in 21 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
Kennedy has already played 40 games in his MLB career, all with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
He is a .206 hitter in his MLB career.
Without Ibáñez and Urshela, outfielder Matt Vierling will spend more time playing third base to fill the two-player void. The Tigers plan to rotate Vierling, Kennedy and Zach McKinstry at third base, while Wenceel Pérez — who replaced Ibáñez — remains in an outfield-only role.
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Vierling replaced Urshela at third base in Friday's game, then he started at third base in Saturday's game.
"It gives other guys opportunity," Hinch said. "Parker (Meadows), we need to get him going, and obviously had a good night last night, which will push Matty to third. Wenceel having a night like last night gives me a ton of confidence to play him whenever."
The Tigers could have transferred right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long — scheduled for Tommy John surgery on Monday — to the 60-day injured list, which would have opened a spot on the 40-man roster for prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy , a below-average defender in the outfield who is hitting .220 with two home runs, 16 walks and 23 strikeouts in 18 games for the Mud Hens.
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But the Tigers opted for Kennedy.
"We called up the guy we wanted to call up right now," Hinch said, "who we feel like can help this roster the most. We have a lot of options, but Buddy was the clear choice."
The Tigers were limited in their 40-man choices because two infielders — Ryan Kreidler (right index finger fracture) and Eddys Leonard (left oblique strain) — are injured, leaving Kennedy as the only healthy infielder on the 40-man roster who was active in Triple-A Toledo.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Gio Urshela to injured list, Buddy Kennedy recalled
