Tigers tab 'dynamic OF' Greene with 5th pick Detroit also takes third baseman Quintana on Day 1 of Draft DETROIT -- Tigers scouting crosschecker James Orr had just moved to Oviedo, Fla, just outside Orlando, when University of Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan told him about a recruit. Riley Greene had committed to the Gators as a freshman, and he was starting to get attention on the national scene. That’s when the Tigers started tracking the teenage outfielder with a sweet swing. By the time he worked out for general manager Al Avila and other club officials, Detroit was convinced he could be the impact hitter to round out its rebuilding plan with the fifth overall pick in Monday night’s MLB Draft. And O’Sullivan was likely losing a recruit. “Anybody that's ever seen Riley knows that he's been able to hit,” Orr said. He's hit with power, hit with average. He's got a great track record of hitting, as good as I've seen coming from a high school player.” It was the best track record of any high school position player available in this Draft, according to scouting reports. It was good enough to make Greene the Tigers’ first high school position player with a top-five pick since Tony Clark went second overall in 1990. “Playing for the Tigers has always been a dream,” Greene said, “but my dream is to play professional baseball and I'm going to get a chance to do that now.” Greene will likely take time to develop, more than the college hitters who went elsewhere among the top selections, but the Tigers believe he’ll be worth the wait when he arrives. “There’s always a risk in any of these players when you're looking into the future and what they could be, but no more than any other player,” scouting director Scott Pleis said. “Riley's got tremendous tools and potential to be a really good Major League player, and that's the way we looked at it.” The Tigers, who added Arizona third baseman Nick Quintana with the 47th pick, have known about Greene’s work for a while. The son of a hitting instructor, Greene has a smooth left-handed swing that has been on display in summer showcases and tournaments. He won the Gatorade Player of the Year Award in Florida while batting .422 with eight home runs and 38 runs scored for Hagerty High School in Oviedo. On the national circuit, Greene helped lead Team USA’s under-18 team to a gold medal in last year’s Pan-American Championships, slugging three home runs and scoring 18 runs. While Greene could take some time to develop, Quintana gives the Tigers a combination of plus defense and a power bat at third base. A former shortstop in high school, Quintana earned second-team All-America honors as a junior at Arizona. He led the Pac 12 Conference with 77 RBIs, fifth most among NCAA Division I hitters, while batting .342 with 15 home runs, 18 doubles and a .626 slugging percentage. He ranked 77th among MLB PIpeline’s Top 200 Draft Prospects. “Really good infielder, really good third baseman, good arm, big glove, right-handed hitter with power,” Pleis said. “When you find a bat, especially a bat with power, who can also play a position on the infield, it's a big deal. We like his swing. We like his power. We like his defense, and his makeup, and the way he goes about the game.”
Hi, ML Just tuned in... I'll be riding along. I heard Miggy's knee is messed up and he wont opt for surgery till after the season. He is now a DH.
Glad to have you along! I had not heard that about Miggy. He certainly is having a difficult time with injuries. Do
Miggy to play through chronic right knee injury Tigers slugger won't need surgery but will be limited to DH DETROIT -- The good news for Miguel Cabrera is that the Tigers slugger was back in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Rays. The bad news is that the knee issues that forced him out of the lineup last weekend in Atlanta will be a factor for the rest of his career. An MRI taken on Saturday on Cabrera’s right knee showed “chronic changes to his knee that are a natural result of the attrition of a long athletic career,” head athletic trainer Doug Teter said Tuesday afternoon. Four specialists reviewed the MRI, including Tigers team physician Dr. Stephen Lemos and noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Though surgery was discussed, the consensus opinion was to treat the issue symptomatically, day to day, based on how Cabrera feels. “All four thought it was in his best interests not to go [the surgical] route at this time,” Teter said. For the foreseeable future, Cabrera will be limited to designated hitter, something he said he’s going to have to accept. As scary as it sounds, the diagnosis came as a relief to Cabrera, whose goal was to avoid surgery. “Really good news,” Cabrera said. “I’m so happy. Now I look forward to going out there, doing what they tell me to do to get ready for the game and try to be on the field. … “I know I can play like this, but in Atlanta I was worried that something bad is going to come. That’s why I asked to check my knee and make sure it’s nothing big.” To say the diagnosis is nothing big might be optimistic. But as long as he can play through the pain, Cabrera will take it. He knows he can play through injuries. Ironically, playing through injuries during the Tigers’ playoff runs -- a torn groin in 2013, a broken foot in '14, ankle issues in '16, back issues in '17 and other smaller issues along the way -- likely contributed to the situation he faces now. Cabrera kept playing, often while trying to get the Tigers to a World Series or playoff berth. “The doctors say I’ve had this for five years,” Cabrera said. “I’m used to this. Sometimes you pay the price when you play for a lot of years. Sometimes you pay the price when you play when you’re hurt. … “The only advice I can say to young kids is take care of their body when they have to. When they have something, stop playing for a week and come back. Don’t play through pain, because you’re going to pay the price later.” Given what he knows now, would he do anything different? “No,” Cabrera replied, “because that’s the way I am. I feel proud of what I’ve done in the past. I feel proud because I want to be on the field.” He also feels proud to still be playing. “We’re getting older. You can’t stop that. That’s a good thing,” Cabrera said. “When you’re getting older and you’re still in the big leagues, that’s a great thing, too. It’s been 17 years here [in the Majors]. You have to feel proud for that.” Asked if surgery was an option after the season, Cabrera shook his head, a sign of how serious the surgical option would be. “No, no, no,” Cabrera said. “That’s not in the book. Forget about that. No chance.”
