Concerning Timeline for Injured Detroit Tigers Slugger Has Been Revealed
The Javier Baez experiment for the Detroit Tigers has not gone well.
After paying him a massive six-year, $140 million contract, the team has received very little return on investment.
Now, Baez will miss the rest of the 2024 MLB season due to a hip injury.
He has undergone surgery already, but it's possible he will miss a lot more time than initially was expected.
The Detroit Free Press has shared that the recovery timeline from this kind of injury is anywhere from 12 weeks to 12 months. Because of that, there is a chance Baez could miss a healthy chunk of next year.
"The hope is that Báez — already ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season — will be ready for 2025 Opening Day on March 27 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, but it's still too soon to know. The return-to-play timeline from hip arthroscopy is 12 weeks to 12 months, depending on several factors. A recovery of 12 weeks is Nov. 28, 2024, but a recovery of 12 months is Sept. 3, 2025."
Even though Baez hasn't been very good in his first three years with the Tigers, this would be a major disappointment.
Throughout the course of the 2024 MLB season, Baez ended up playing in 80 games. He slashed .184/.221/.294 to go along with six home runs and 37 RBI.
Clearly, those are not the kind of numbers Detroit was hoping to see when they signed him to such a big contract.
At 31 years old, Baez still has some years left to turn his career back around. He has even fallen off from being the major power hitter he was during his prime with the Chicago Cubs. Simply getting his power back would make him a threat in the Tigers' lineup.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how long Baez ends up missing due to his injury. The return timetable is definitely concerning.
Hopefully, he won't suffer any setbacks in his rehab process and can find himself ready for Opening Day next season.
EVAN MASSEY