Three Tigers to watch in the next week

In the wake of last nights Joel Zumaya meltdown that cost the Tigers what would have been their longest winning streak of the season we are reminded that this bullpen, among other aspects of this ball club, remain shaky at times. Long winning streaks are lovely and invigorating, they seem to wash away deficiencies and blind us to areas of concern. The same can be said in reverse for losing streaks, as we tend to react rather than respond with criticisms harsh and short on reason.

So today, before the next up and down ride on the roller coaster that is the 2009 Tigers season, we’ll examine a few players to watch in the next week.

#1 Alfredo Figaro

Not only is he a part of this rotation, he’s been penciled into the second spot in it between Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson. Managers far and wide will be quick to point out that the 5th starter is as important as the 1st, and the association between a pitchers place in the rotation and his standing in the hierarchy of the staff is often overstated. I can sign on for that. However, It also means Figaro will likely pitch against 10 game winner Kevin Slowey in the opener of the Twins series next weekend rather than the Kansas City Royals the following Monday. I think it’s fair to argue that facing the Twins and their ace (numerically speaking) is a big task for a young man who will have two major league starts on his resume at that point. It will be interesting to see how he responds tonight in a hitters park and next weekend against the Tigers main rival, providing Jim Leyland doesn’t alter the rotation between now and then.

#2 The confidence of Joel Zumaya

He’s young, he’s engimatic and many have questioned his maturity. On the heels of numerous disappointing outings this month you have to wonder how he’ll rebound. With Joel pitching well in the 7th or 8th inning this team is better than it is without him being reliable in those key spots. If Joel can’t figure it out then Brandon Lyon will have to pick up the slack. With arbitration looming this off-season I’m sure Joel would like to prove he can come back from failure and perform in high pressure situations like a closer in waiting should.

#3 Magglio Ordonez

We’ve talked about the haircut, we’ve heard the Samson jokes, we saw the home run the day after he lost the locks. What we have not yet seen since the now mythical chopping of the mop top is whether Magglio can hit well enough, and with enough pop, to prevent the need for the Tigers to chase a big bat at the trade deadline. One way or another management will have to decide soon whether to hunt for a Brad Hawpe, an Aubrey Huff, a Matt Holliday or someone else of that ilk. If Maggs can find his home run stroke and resume driving in big runs in big spots it will certainly ease the burden on the front office and the farm system, not to mention give an emotional lift to the rest of the roster. If he can’t, the situation could get uncomfortable quickly. So far in June Ordonez is hitting .242 with one home run and five RBI’s. He is a career .195 hitter with six home runs and 25 RBI’s in 47 games at McAfee Coliseum. Here’s hoping these numbers will be irrelevant a week from today. If they aren’t, Magglio might be soon after.

Tags: Alfredo Figaro, Brandon Lyon, Detroit Tigers, Jim Leyland, Joel Zumaya, Magglio Ordonez, Three Tigers to Watch in the Next Week