Joe Nathan’s rough first season in Detroit now includes an elbow injury, as James Schmehl of MLive.com reports that the 39-year-old closer has been unavailable for the past several games due to “elbow tenderness.”
Nathan has a 5.04 ERA and a career-high six blown saves in the first season of a two-year, $20 million deal and his secondary numbers have also shown major signs of decline at age 39. He also apologized after being booed off the mound by Tigers fans and giving the home crowd a chin-flick gesture last month.
Nathan--who had a 2.09 ERA for the Rangers in 2012/2013--is owed $10 million next season, plus a $10 million option or $1 million buyout for 2016.