DETROIT — James McCann has a chance to seize the job as the Detroit Tigers’ primary catcher a year earlier than projected.
Alex Avila’s knee injury, which landed him on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday, opened the door for McCann to stake his claim to that position. The rookie was already swinging the hottest bat on the team in spot duty, as he carried a seven-game hitting streak into Sunday night’s game. The streak was snapped as he went 0-for-4 but he’s still batting .288 for the season.
Avila becomes a free agent after the season and McCann emerged as his likely successor after hitting .295 with seven home runs and 54 RBIs in 109 games at Triple-A Toledo last season. The 24-year-old McCann won the backup job over Bryan Holaday during spring training and has added juice to the lineup, something Avila hasn’t done since 2011.
Avila, who may need arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body in his left knee, batted .295 with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs during that career year. His average has since declined from .243 to .227 to .218 and he hasn’t hit more than 11 home runs in any of those seasons. He was batting .200 with two homers and eight RBIs this season while being nagged by the injury in recent weeks.
“It’s been pretty painful for awhile,” he said. “Some days, it’s been difficult to just walk around. According to the doctor, it wouldn’t be smart to continue. I’d probably do more damage, so we’ve got to take care of it. My hope would be to be back, ready to go, good as new, before the second half.”
Avila is highly respected for his defensive work, his relationship with the pitching staff and his leadership. Those things would all work in his favor toward retaining the job when he comes back. If McCann continues to produce at the plate, earns the pitchers’ trust and handles the increased workload, Avila may have to settle for a reduced role.
Manager Brad Ausmus is confident McCann can fill the void in the short term.
“I think he’s up to the task,” Ausmus said. “To me, he’s a mentally strong kid and he can deal with it.”
McCann doesn’t feel any added pressure.
“Definitely big shoes to fill but I look forward to doing everything I can to do that,” he said. “I’ve always played every day in the minors and college, so it’s not a new situation. It’s just a different role and it’s my job to put up as many W’s as I can. I feel good where I’m at (offensively) but defense is No. 1 and any type of offense I can put up is secondary.”