Javier Baez’s season-ending injury could be long-term issue?

The Detroit Tigers have not gotten their money’s worth from shortstop Javy Baez, and things may be about to get even worse for them.

The Tigers announced last week that Baez will undergo season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery. One might presume at that point that Baez will be ready to go for spring training, but that may not be the case after all.

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers do not actually know if Baez will be healthy for next spring. Much will depend on the outcome of the surgery, but recovery timelines can vary from 12 weeks to a full year depending on the procedure. At this point, it is not clear who is performing the procedure or how significant it is, but the more extreme outcomes could certainly keep Baez sidelined into 2025.

The injury situation could only further complicate Baez’s future with the Tigers. Since signing a six-year, $140M deal with the team prior to the 2022 season, he has hit just .221 with 32 home runs. 2024 was his worst year yet, as he posted a .184 average with just six home runs.