Minor-league tidbits: Crosby update, Jensen retires

Minor-league tidbits: Crosby update, Jensen retires
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on April 7, 2010 at 4:28 PM

Talked today with Tigers minor league operations director Dan Lunetta, who sounded pretty optimistic that Casey Crosby's elbow injury isn't going to require surgery. The highly-regarded pitching prospect will open the season on the disabled list, but the elbow is supposedly fine. The hope is to get him throwing again in about two weeks.

"There's some inflammation and we need to get it quieted," Lunetta said.

Any elbow injury with Crosby is obviously a big deal after he underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2007 draft. He's slated to start out the season at Class A Lakeland.

Meanwhile, at Double-A Erie, the SeaWolves will open the season without either of the relievers who tied for the team lead in saves last year. While Cody Satterwhite is on the disabled list with his shoulder injury, Brett Jensen unexpectedly retired. He's just 26 years old, and he's healthy, but by all accounts, he's ready to do something else.

"He just decided it was time for him to take his life in a different direction," Lunetta said.

Jensen wasn't a highly-regarded prospect by any means; he was left off the 40-man roster over the winter. But as a 6-foot-7 right-hander with a sidearming delivery, he had some ingredients to maybe develop into a big-league reliever down the road. Jensen went 5-5 with a 3.19 ERA and 12 saves at Erie last year, striking out 59 batters over 53 2/3 innings.

On the minor-league wire, Kory Casto and Ryan Roberson have joined Jason Stokes among the veteran hitters to be released by the Tigers this spring.