The Tigers suffered quite a scare when second base prospect Scott Sizemore fractured a bone in his left ankleduring Thursday’s game in the Arizona Fall League. All things considered, it could have been a lot worse since it was determined to be a “nondisplaced” fracture, meaning that the bone has cracked but remains in alignment. Sizemore should be fully recovered by spring training.
Sizemore, who was a fifth-round draft pick of the Tigers in 2006, was off to a hot start in the AFL, batting .368 with three home runs, two doubles and nine RBI over his first five games. He batted .308/.389/.500 with 17 homers, 66 RBI and 21 stolen bases between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo this season. He was recently ranked as
the No. 16 prospect in the Eastern Leagueby Baseball America. General manager Dave Dombrowski would love to hand the starting second base job over to the 24-year-old. Placido Polanco, who hit .285/.331/.396 with 10 homers and 72 RBI in 2009 and .315/.351/.407 after the All-Star break, will surely sign elsewhere.
“He was playing very well, offensively and defensively, and feeling really good,” Dombrowski said of Sizemore’s Arizona debut. “But these things happen.”
“You wish it wouldn’t have happened. You’d rather have another month (in Arizona) under his belt. But he’ll be fine.”