Detroit Tigers sidearmer Nolan Blackwood faces Harold Castro in the intrasquad game on Sunday, July 12, 2020, at Comerica Park. Detroit Free Press
Two seasons ago, the Detroit Tigers felt like they had an emerging closer.
Bryan Garcia, a right-hander the Tigers drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, was moving up the ladder quickly. In 2017, he posted a 2.13 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, advancing three levels from Class A to Triple-A Toledo.
But the next spring, right as he was ready for his first spring training competition, he tore his right ulnar collateral ligament and underwent elbow reconstruction surgery.