Unfortunately for Magglio Ordonez, he will miss all the fun and excitement that comes with the rest of whatever playoffs lay ahead for his Detroit Tigers, whose outfielders are dropping like flies.
Ordonez fractured his right ankle some time during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday, exiting in the top of the fifth inning when he drew a walk between rain delays before being replaced by a pinch-runner.
He broke that ankle last season, and it's continued to cause him problems since then, missing over than a month this summer. Detroit manager Jim Leyland said on Sunday that he will be replaced on the ALCS roster, but by whom is a mystery.
Ordonez, who went 5-for-11 with no home runs or RBI throughout the postseason so far, becoming the second Tigers outfielder to drop out of the ALCS after Delmon Young injured his oblique during the ALDS. Assuming Ryan Raburn is still replacing Young in left field, that leaves Andy Dirks or Brennan Boesch (out after thumb surgery) to fill in for Ordonez on the 25-man playoff roster. Brandon Inge could move to the outfield as well. Don Kelly, who's batted .190 against left-handers over the past month, would be the obvious choice in right against right-handed pitching, except the Rangers are chock-full of lefty starters.
Game 2 was scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed until Monday at 4:19pm ET due to an untimely rainstorm in the Arlington area. The Tigers will once again hand the ball to Max Scherzer against left-hander Derek Holland, who has pitched only four innings against Detroit in his entire career. Meanwhile, in six lifetime starts against Texas, Scherzer is 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA.
[Detroit Free Press]
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