Anaheim, Calif. – Barring any setbacks, Javier Báez is on track to return before the All-Star break.
At least that is the goal of Báez and the Tigers.
“He’s feeling very good,” said Tigers manager AJ Hinch, who spoke with Báez on Friday night. “It’s encouraging news because his back hasn’t felt this good in a long time.”
Baez worked out in Lakeland on Saturday and will do so again on Sunday. He hopes to begin rehab next week when the Tigers are in Minnesota.
“We’re working on travel,” Hinch said. “It will probably be in Triple-A.”
The Toledo Mud Hens host Columbus on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then finish the week in Columbus, while the Tigers finish their road trip in Cincinnati.
But there are still a few boxes to tick.
“Once he starts playing, we’ll have to get a step-up similar to what we did in spring training,” Hinch said. “There will be some days where he’ll play as a designated hitter and some days where he’ll play as a shortstop, and then we’ll work our way up to a full game.”
“We have to get him back into the rhythm and timing of baseball.”
Baez has been out since June 9 with lumbar spine inflammation, but has been battling back problems for nearly two years. When he returned to Florida, he received an injection and is gradually working his way back into action.
Hinch was asked if the All-Star break (July 15-18) would come at a bad time for Baez, as it could interrupt his rehab progress or delay his return.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s certainly a while away and I’ll want to know exactly where he is and he’ll want to know exactly where he is. But honestly, we don’t want to delay (his rehab) that much. That would be four extra days for nothing.”
“If anything, this break motivates us to see where he is, maybe towards the end of the next home game.”
When the Tigers return home on July 8, they will play four games against the Guardians and three against the Dodgers before the break. The goal would be to activate Baez at some point during that home opener.
@cmccosky
Tigers at Angels, Angels Stadium
16:07
TV/Radio: Bally Sports Detroit, 97.1.
Scouting report:
RHP Casey Mize (1-6, 4.54), Tigers: Mize has seemingly been one step forward and one step back all season. There’s no better example of that than his start against the Phillies on Monday. He struck out 10 batters, a career-high, and 20 swings and misses, a season-high. He managed 6 misses on 13 swings with his slider and 5-of-10 swings with his split. But he allowed four runs to the game’s first four batters and lasted just 4.1 innings (needing 101 pitches to get that far).
LHP Tyler Anderson (7-7, 2.63), Angels: The epitome of the crafty left-hander. He doesn’t throw a single pitch over 90 mph and lives on the edge of the strike zone with an 89 mph four-seam, a cutter and an elite changeup. With the changeup, he holds hitters to a .182 average and has a 35.6% whiff rate. Patience is a virtue against him. He has an 11% walk rate and in his five starts in June, he has allowed as many walks as he has allowed punches, 17.
–Chris McCosky
