When the Tigers signed Joel Hanrahan in May they were hoping the former All-Star closer would be ready to return from Tommy John elbow surgery by the All-Star break, but he hasn’t progressed as planned and now they’re not hoping for much of anything.
General manager Dave Dombrowski told Jason Beck of MLB.com “at this point I would say we’re not counting on him at all ... it does not sound encouraging.”
Hanrahan was one of the best, hardest-throwing relievers in baseball before injuries derailed him, posting a 2.73 ERA with 228 strikeouts in 198 innings from 2010-2012.
However, his recovery hasn’t gone according to plan and now Hanrahan is expected to seek further medical opinions regarding what to do next. Obviously the Tigers acquired Joakim Soria from the Rangers because they simply think he’s a really good pitcher who can have a big impact for them, but Hanrahan being out the picture perhaps pushed them a little further toward that move.