The Detroit Tigers placed potential top trade candidate SP Eduardo Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a finger injury, per Bally Sports Detroit.
The Tigers are currently just two games out of first place in the American League Central. However, they hold just a 26-28 record. Detroit will have to decide whether or not they want to buy or sell in July. If they opt to sell, Rodriguez would have been a top-tier trade candidate.
The left-hander is off to a strong start in 2023. After posting mediocre results across 17 games in 2022, Rodriguez currently owns a 2.13 ERA over 11 games in 2023. Regardless of whether the Tigers buy or sell, Rodriguez's absence will negatively impact their roster without question.
Detroit's 2023 frustrations have been salvaged by Rodriguez's dominant performance in a sense. They have also had some young players find their footing this year. They clearly aren't a true contender just yet, but the Tigers are trending in a positive direction following their forgettable 2022 season. And given the underwhelming status of the AL Central, competing is a possibility.
In the end, the month of June will go a long way in determining whether or not the Tigers buy or sell. If they labor and fall back in the standings, selling will likely be their only option. Other possible trade candidates include Matthew Boyd, Michael Lorenzen, Jonathan Schoop, and others.
Eduardo Rodriguez would have been the team's best trade candidate, but now there's a chance he could miss multiple months with the injury
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