Injuries to Jeremy Bonderman, Dontrelle Willis, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney helped derail the first half of the 2008 season for the Tigers. The Tigers are now 47-47 which has them in 3rd place in the American League Central, 7 games behind the White Sox. The Tigers are also 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Race in the American League. One good thing for the Tigers is that Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney are both back to help fortify the back end of the bullpen. Zumaya might eventually bump Todd Jones (17 saves, 4.95 ERA) out of the closer’s job unless he starts to improve soon. Unless Dontrelle Willis gets his act together in A-Ball (doubtful) then the Tigers might need to make another move for a starting pitcher because rookie Eddie Bonine might not have the stuff to succeed at the major league level. He has started 5 games this season for the Tigers and he is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. It hurts the Tigers that they traded so much of their farm system to get Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and Edgar Renteria in the off-season as they don’t have a lot of prospects to offer a team for another starting pitcher.

Just when the Tigers started to get everyone healthy they have to place one of their best players on the 15-day disabled list. Ordonez has a pulled right oblique muscle which will cause him to miss at least the next two weeks. Ordonez has played in 80 games for the Tigers this season and he is 92 for 300 (.307 avg, .866 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 12 homers and 50 RBIs. The Tigers have recalled lefty swinging outfielder Matt Joyce from AAA ball. Joyce played in 18 games earlier this season for the Tigers and he was 11 for 53 (.208 avg, .780 OPS) with 9 runs scored, 5 homers and 10 RBIs. Even if Joyce plays well the Tigers will still miss Ordonez who has been the best hitter on the Tigers this season.

The Tigers have placed C/3B/OF Brandon Inge on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled oblique muscle. This pretty much means that Ivan Rodriguez will be playing almost every day until Inge is ready to return. Inge has played in 52 games this season for the Tigers and he is 31 for 144 (.215 avg, .728 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 6 homers and 23 RBIs. The Tigers have recalled catcher Dane Sardinha to replace Inge on the roster. The 29-year old righty swinging Sardinha was not playing well in AAA this season. He has played in 48 games in AAA ball this season and he is 34 for 165 (.206 avg, .610 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 6 homers and 16 RBIs. Sardinha has played in 2 major league games in his career and he is 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Vance Wilson will need a second Tommy John Surgery to his right elbow and that’s a shame seeing how hard he worked to rehab after the first surgery. Wilson last played with the Tigers in 2006 and it might be the end of his major league career. He played in 2 years for the Tigers covering 117 games in which he was 73 for 304 (.240 avg) with 36 runs scored, 8 homers and 37 RBIs. The Tigers are lucky to have kept Brandon Inge who has taken over a lot of the catching duties that would have fell to Vance Wilson.

The Tigers have lost righty starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman for the season after he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in an axillary vein. Bonderman is likely out for the season. He started 12 games for the Tigers this season and he was 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Bonderman has now pitched in 169 games (163 starts) in his major league career and he is 59-66 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. The Tigers will replace Bonderman in the rotation with Armando Galarraga who will move from the bullpen. Galarraga has been the best starter on the Tigers so far this season. He has pitched in 9 games (8 starts) for the Tigers this season and he is 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He has only allowed 33 hits in 52.2 innings which is downright impressive. This is a blow for the Tigers even though Galarraga will likely pitch good in Bonderman’s place as he would have really helped out in the weak Tigers’ bullpen.