Tigers get tough injury update on C.J. Cron
By Max Smith
After suffering an ugly injury on Monday night in a game against the White Sox, Tigers first baseman C.J. Cron received tough news about the nature of his injury Wednesday.
CJ Cron is in a knee brace and the hope is he can strengthen the ligament enough, and stabilize it enough to get through the season. But it's a long shot. He knows surgery is inevitable, just a matter of when. Not good
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) August 12, 2020
Cron has two options in 2020. He can either try to attempt to strengthen the ligament enough to make it through this season or undergo surgery and start preparing for 2021. He will require surgery at some point, it’s just whether he wants to attempt to come back this season.
Cron would like to come back this season, but it seems unlikely. Cron said that his kneecap popped out of place when he attempted to field the ground ball. He’s currently in a brace and waiting for the swelling to subside.
CJ Cron is a big loss for the Tigers
The hard-hitting righty was off to a solid start in 2019, with four home runs and eight RBIs in 13 games. The Tigers signed Cron this offseason to a one-year $6.1 million contract. If he misses the remainder of 2020, it’ll be tough for him to receive a similar contract in next year.
Cron’s best season came in 2018, when he played 140 games for the Tampa Bay Rays. In that season, he launched 30 home runs with 74 RBIs.
Cron is one of the few remaining pure power hitters. In today’s MLB, it seems like everyone who can hit for power also hits for average. Cron doesn’t fit that build. He’s more of an Adam Dunn model of player. He’s either hitting one into the bleachers or striking out.
If he’s unable to return, Cron would be a major loss for a Tigers team that is in need of any offense they can get.
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