Report: Rogers may have blood clot
March 30th, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers was placed on the disabled list Thursday with what team officials described as a "fatigued arm," but the veteran left-hander may have a blood clot.
According to the Detroit Free Press, a person familiar with the situation was told by a club official about the blood clot. However, the paper said it is unknown if the blood clot is in the pitcher's arm.
Rogers has left the team to visit a specialist.
The Tigers have said Rogers will miss at least one start, as the move to the 15-day disabled list was made retroactive to March 25. He was scheduled to start Detroit's second game of the season.
Rogers finished 17-8 with a 3.84 earned run average in 34 outings, including 33 starts, in his first season with Detroit in 2006.
The Tigers were the surprise winners of the American League pennant last year, thanks in part to Rogers, who won all three of his starts during the postseason and did not allow a run in 23 innings of work.
In 18 career seasons, the crafty lefty is 207-139 with a 4.19 ERA in 721 games.
Rogers has surgery, likely out until July
Associated Press
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Kenny Rogers had surgery Friday to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries, and the Detroit Tigers pitcher likely will be sidelined for the first half of the season.
The 42-year-old left-hander had the operation in Dallas. He is expected to start throwing in six-to-eight weeks, and Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said the earliest Rogers would return to the rotation is July.
Detroit placed Rogers on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. Chad Durbin, who made the team as a reliever, will move into the Tigers' rotation.
Rogers is on the DL for the first time since 2001.
Rogers has gone from a hard-throwing pitcher to a crafty one during a career that began in 1989 with the Texas Rangers and included stops with Oakland, Minnesota and both teams in New York.
He went 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA last year during his first season with the Tigers, then gained notoriety during the postseason when he had a patch of dirt on his pitching hand. He won all three of his postseason starts and didn't allow a run in 23 innings.
Rogers was 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in five exhibition starts. With Rogers out of the rotation, Nate Robertson will pitch in place of Rogers on Wednesday in Detroit's second game. Jeremy Bonderman starts Monday's opener against Toronto. Justin Verlander goes to third in the rotation, followed by Mike Maroth and Durbin.