Javier Báez undergoes hip surgery that will end season

The Tigers today announced a series of roster moves, including the selection of a right-handed pitcher Ty Maddenwhich was reported yesterday. The club also called up right-handed Mason Englert from Triple-A Toledo. To open up active roster spots for those two, the club signed right-hander Will Vesten on the paternity list and option-left-handed Bryan Sammons to Toledo. To clear a 40-man spot for Madden, infielder Javier Baez was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Manager AJ Hinch reported that Báez will undergo surgery on his right hip and is done for the year. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press was among those who broke the news about X.

Báez was placed on the 10-day injured list a few days ago with what the Tigers described as lumbar and hip inflammation. It’s possible the issue has been plaguing him for a while, as he also missed nearly a month earlier this year with lumbar inflammation. He previously told Petzold that he’s dealt with lower back issues during his time with the Tigers.

Perhaps the back/hip issues explain his sudden drop in performance since arriving in Detroit. Through the end of 2021, he had a career batting line of .264/.307/.477 for a wRC+ of 104. Combined with his strong shortstop defense and baserunning, he had produced 21.6 Wins Above Replacement per FanGraphs.

The Tigers signed him to a six-year, $140 million contract that begins in 2022, but he’s hit just .221/.262/.347 for a 69 wRC+ over the course of that contract. That includes a horrendous .184/.221/.294 line and 41 wRC+ this year. Of the players with at least 250 plate appearances this season, only Brandon Drury has a lower wRC+. Báez has also had less impressive defensive numbers in recent years and his contract is currently considered one of the worst in the sport.

Ideally, the surgery will address the issue and allow Báez to put this miserable period behind him, but there is no guarantee that this will happen. He is now 31 years old and will turn 32 in the off-season. That means he will spend the rest of his contract trying to fight the standard effects of time, in addition to overcoming this back/hip problem.

Even if he doesn’t quite return to his pre-Tigers form, there’s still plenty of room for improvement over his current output, which the Tigers would be happy to take. They’re pivoting to a young crop of position players, giving infielders plenty of playing time Foal Keith, Jace Jung And Trey SweeneyThe Tigers likely view that group as a more important part of their next competitive window than Báez, but even if he could become a solid utility/bench player, that would likely be seen as small consolation compared to how rocky the last three seasons have been. His deal still carries $73 million and three years after the 2024 season.