Reliever Jordan Tata sorry for broken finger incident

Reliever Jordan Tata sorry for broken finger incident: 'It's embarrassing'

LAKELAND, Fla. -- In his first outing of the spring, Jordan Tata allowed four earned runs to Florida Southern College. In his second, he surrendered three to the Tampa Bay Rays. In his third, Friday against Atlanta, he had the bases empty and two out before walking the next two batters.

At that point, Tigers manager Jim Leyland emerged from the dugout and removed him from the game. Tata walked off the field and headed for the clubhouse. And as he entered the locker room, he did something he now regrets.

He hit the door with his pitching hand -- and broke a knuckle in his little finger.

"I don't usually do things like that," Tata said. "The last three outings all came to a head at that moment. It was stupid. I wasn't thinking."

Tata sat at his locker, head down, as he spoke apologetically about the injury Sunday. He plans to visit a hand specialist in Tampa today to learn more about his condition.

It's not clear when he will be ready to pitch again. For now, Tata said the injury has been described as a boxer's fracture, or a break in the metacarpal bone.

The 26-year-old right-hander pitched so impressively during spring training two years ago that he made the Opening Day roster after an injury to Todd Jones. But he began last season on the disabled list and ended it without a September call-up, making this a crucial year in his career.

But Tata acknowledged that he hasn't thrown the ball consistently all spring.

"I never got to the point where I could let it go with confidence," he said. "I didn't have that snap. It wasn't right."

Tata searched for reasons why he was struggling but couldn't pinpoint anything, mentally or mechanically. "That's what made it so frustrating," he said. "That was the hardest part, not knowing what was wrong."

Now the concerns about spotty command have been trumped by an injury that could seriously impact his season. Tata said he appreciates how team officials have told him to keep his head up. No one is mad at him, he said, but he feels sorry just the same.

"It's embarrassing," he said. "It's not the way I usually go about my business. You've got to be smarter than that."
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bow

Will this stuff never end... Just what Leland needed. Perturbed

Wow, I've never even broken my hand hitting something before. I wasn't expecting anything from him anyways...at least it wasn't Verlander.

I wish Tata would do something though - I got his autograph from him through the mail last year. It's currently worth less than the stamps I bought to get it to him and back LMAO

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Coming soon: A better signature!

03/10/2008 12:48 PM ET
Tata scheduled to see hand specialist
Doctor to determine extent of injury caused by punching door
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers right-hander Jordan Tata was already having a Spring Training he'd like to forget. But he'd really like to forget the reaction he had to his last outing.

Tata was scheduled to visit a hand specialist on Monday to determine the extent of the injury he suffered when he punched a door coming out of a game a few days ago. The visit is expected to confirm a broken bone in his throwing hand around the base of his pinky finger and provide a timetable on how long he'll miss.

At the very least, his Spring Training appears to be over, even if the frustration over it is not. Before his doctor visit, Tata was in the clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium talking about his situation while his right hand was wrapped in a soft cast.

Tata came to camp expected to open the season as an insurance starter in case the Tigers eventually encounter injuries in their rotation. However, he battled control issues all spring. Including the exhibition opener against Florida Southern College, which does not count in the official Spring Training statistics, Tata allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 innings. He walked seven batters in that span while yielding four hits.

He obviously knew he was doing something wrong. He hadn't felt right the whole spring, but he didn't know how to fix it.

"It just felt like I couldn't let the ball go," he said. "When I did, I didn't know where it was going."

The final outing that flared Tata's temper came Friday against the Braves at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. He retired the first two batters of his inning before issuing back-to-back walks and being pulled.

That's when his emotion got the better of him and he did something he admits was dumb.

"It just built up," he said. "It's just one of those things where you're not even thinking."

Not until later, when the swelling grew, did he realize the damage he had done.

"I didn't even feel it," he said. "Half an hour later, I looked down, and it was just like a goose egg."

And yes, he has heard plenty of advice from teammates and others that he should've thrown the punch with his other hand.

"We've all seen Bull Durham," he said, allowing a slight smile.

He's struggling to find a bright side to this. If there is any, it could be the time he now has to clear his head and figure out where he goes from here.

Now 26 years old and entering his sixth professional season, he's at an interesting point in his career. He's at the doorstep of the big leagues, but he has spent the better part of the last two seasons at Triple-A Toledo after opening the 2006 season in the Tigers bullpen as an injury replacement. After missing the first two months of last season with a strained right shoulder, the right-hander went 4-5 with a 3.05 ERA in 14 starts for the Mud Hens, limiting opponents to 67 hits over 82 2/3 innings.

His brief callup to the Tigers at the end of July earned him his first Major League win, scattering two runs over seven innings on July 30 at Oakland. He made two more starts before being sent back to Toledo, but he was not called up when rosters expanded in September.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Monday, March 10, 2008
Tigers pitcher Tata concerned about shoulder
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers right-hander Jordan Tata is worried about more than his broken right hand. He's concerned about his shoulder, too.

Tata went to see a hand specialist in Tampa on Monday after learning that he broke a bone at the base of his right little finger when he hit a clubhouse door in disgust last Friday after an outing against Atlanta.

"I think I'll be out a minimum of six weeks," said Tata, who would have begun the season as a starting pitcher for Toledo.

What made the normally laid-back Tata angry was the ineffective way he's been pitching this spring. The reason he's struggling, though, is a puzzle.

"I haven't thrown it right all spring," he said. "It's a very scary feeling.

"Last year I didn't have a good spring, and it turned out my shoulder was injured (torn labrum). I don't feel any pain in my shoulder, but I didn't feel any last year, either.

"That's in the back of my mind now because I've not been able to let it go. There's nothing there. Maybe the ligament's gone now."

Update:

-- Jordan Tata, who began the season on the disabled list with a broken hand, has been activated and optioned to Lakeland.
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bow

I heard that they asked for waivers for him or something. Has anyone heard anything eles?
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Jordan pitched June 5th for the Flying Tigers and is on the 40 man roster with Rick Porcello.

He isn't on the 40-man roster anymore. Look

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He still is on Lakeland's Roster