Top Tigers prospect Iorg out with shoulder injury

Top Tigers prospect Iorg out with shoulder injury

Shortstop prospect Cale Iorg, widely regarded as the top position player in the Tigers’ farm system when the season began, has not played since Thursday because of a shoulder injury.

Iorg, who has spent the entire season at Class A Lakeland, was injured while making a play in the field during Thursday’s game at Brevard.

The club is awaiting test results to confirm that there was no structural damage, according to Dan Lunetta, the Tigers’ director of minor league operations.

Iorg, 22, is batting .262 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs in 79 games this year. He was rated as Detroit’s No. 2 prospect – behind only star pitcher Rick Porcello – in Baseball America’s annual rankings.

The Tigers have not had good luck with shoulder injuries to their young shortstops in recent years.

• Tony Giarratano, believed to be their shortstop of the future, was released this January following a series of shoulder woes.

• Brent Dlugach, a smooth fielder who impressed Tigers manager Jim Leyland during spring training last year, has only recently returned to game action after missing roughly one year due to shoulder surgery.

• Danny Worth, who has also impressed Leyland with his defensive ability, was recently added to the disabled list at Double-A Erie. He has a posterior shoulder strain.

STRONG DRAFT: Even though first-rounder Ryan Perry has yet to pitch in a professional game, some relievers from this year’s draft have already made an impact on the Tigers’ farm system.

Among them:

• Right-hander Robert Weinhardt (10th round, Oklahoma State University) has not been scored upon in seven innings at Lakeland. Weinhardt, 22, has struck out nine batters, walked no one, and limited opposing hitters to a .045 batting average.

• Right-hander Tyler Stohr (sixth round, University of North Florida) has saved seven games at short-season Class A Oneonta, tying him for the league lead. Stohr, 21, has allowed one earned run in eight innings. His fastball averages between 92 and 93 m.p.h. and has touched 94.
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