Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch was hoping to put off thumb surgery until after the season, but the pain from his torn ligament has prevented him from swinging a bat and he made the decision Sunday to have the procedure now.
Boesch was one of the AL’s better corner outfielders during the first half of the season, hitting .306/.360/.490 with 12 homers, 57 runs scored and 44 RBI in 84 games before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, a thumb injury he sustained earlier in the season got a whole lot worse when he aggravated it on Aug. 10. He played scarcely afterwards and failed to drive in a run in any of his remaining eight appearances.
With Boesch done, the Tigers will hope that Magglio Ordonez or Andy Dirks can step up and claim the right-field job headed into the postseason. Ordonez had a big game Thursday, homering and doubling twice against the Royals. Still, he’s hitting just .239/.288/.321 in 293 at-bats. Dirks, a rookie, is batting .253/.296/.404 in 178 at-bats. The Tigers can also give Ryan Raburn time there if they wish. He’s hitting .239/.277/.402. Dirks, being the lefty swinger and the superior defender, would be the preferable choice to step into Boesch’s shoes.