Detroit Tigers' Injuries Could Be Blessing in Disguise

So long, Joel Zumaya, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez.

Hello, Ryan Perry, Don Kelly, Scott Sizemore, Danny Worth, Will Rhymes, and Jeff Larish.

The Detroit Tigers are hurting, but the end to the summer of 2010 could set the table for a great run of success for years to come.

Because of this run of injuries, the Tigers will probably not make any significant moves at the trading deadline.  That means prospects like Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver will remain in the organization as opposed to being traded for Dan Haren or Ted Lilly.

In the case of Ordonez, the Tigers will probably not have to pick up his $18 million player option for next season.  This will give the Tigers a lot of shopping money in the offseason. 

Aside from Miguel Cabrera and Johnny Damon, the rest of the Tigers' lineup for Sunday's doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays featured rookies or players who should still be developing in the minor leagues.

Clearly for the Detroit Tigers, the future is now.

For the rest of 2010, the Tigers will be relying on one of the youngest lineups and pitching staffs in all of baseball.  However, that doesn't mean the Tigers will be completely devoid of talent.

Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson, and Brennan Boesch are just a few of the young stars who will make the future very bright in Detroit.

Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, Soctt Sizemore, and Danny Worth are all prospects who are supposed to be stars in the making.  Aside from Turner, the rest of the players in this group should get a lot of experience through the end of 2010.

There is no doubt that the loss of those four veterans will severely decrease the Tigers' odds of making the playoffs.  However, even with them in the lineup, the Tigers were still stuck in a three-team race with opponents against whom they struggle mightily.

The Tigers would have definitely had to make a costly move in order to acquire a player that would could have catapulted them into true playoff contention. 

In the long run, these injuries could not have happened at a better time.