The Detroit Tigers have been exploring emergency options at catcher for the upcoming season, however, Victor Martinez will not be one of them. Brad Ausmus made it clear today that Martinez will not be an option behind the plate this season.
“I don’t think it’d be smart with those knee issues to catch Victor,”
Martinez is recovering from a torn meniscus injury that occurred late in the offseason. Other options at catcher are being entertained by Ausmus and his staff including using utility players Andrew Romine and Hernan Perez as emergency backups. Catcher is a concern for the Tigers, but, they do have some capable players on the roster including Alex Avila, Brian Holaday, and James McCann. Ausmus maintained that Romine and Perez are definitely considered emergency fill ins:
“If it’s an emergency, you just hope there’s someone that could catch the ball,” Ausmus said. “You have your back against the wall, and you just need to get through the game. If need be, you can call someone up the next game if you needed another catcher. But you just want someone who can catch the ball.”
Ausmus is open to Martinez filling in at other defensive positions, including first base.
“I think (playing first base) will still be on the table,” Ausmus said. “But when that happens, I don’t know.”
