No more voodoo child (for 12 weeks)

The Tigers have dealt with plenty of injuries already this year. This is something on a different level.

When Curtis Granderson talked Sunday about how the Tigers will move on without Zumaya, he didn't focus on who will fill the eighth-inning role, or whether the Tigers should call up a reliever or starter from the minors if Zumaya is out a while. He talked up the presence Zumaya brings.

"The big thing I think we'll miss is the intimidation factor," Granderson said. "When he gets announced at home, it's amazing what the crowd does to react for him, the graphics that go around Comerica Park. And I'm not sure what other pitcher we have that can fill that void. But we do have a lot of pitchers who can fill the void of getting guys out. They may not be at 99, but a lot of guys have a lot of different things that work for them."

It's not just about how the crowd reacts. It's about how opponents react.

Jose Mesa might well be able to hold leads in the eighth inning alongside Fernando Rodney, now that Mesa is healthy. So might Bobby Seay, the way he's going right now, or Jason Grilli. But none of them can change a game like Zumaya does.

It's not fair to call it rock-star status. I think that term gets used too much nowadays, anyway. Zumaya is one of those players who opponents are aware of when the game reaches the later innings. He can affect whether a team puts in a left-handed hitter in the seventh or eighth, or whether a team tries to play small ball or tries to go for the big hit. Even when Zumaya struggles to control his fastball, it's a huge presence in a game. Very few non-closers in baseball have that affect, let alone on the Tigers.

The White Sox loaded up on hard-throwing relievers to try to build some intimidation ahead of Bobby Jenks. The Twins don't have that fireballer, but they have one of the most deceptive pitchers in baseball with Pat Neshek (check the stats). Rafael Betancourt was stingy for Cleveland in April.

The one Tigers reliever who can build an intimidating aura when he's consistent is Fernando Rodney with his fastball-changeup combination. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Rodney can't pitch every day. He can pitch more often than he had been when he was alternating days with Zumaya.

But even if Rodney steps up, losing Zumaya places an equally big responsibility on lefties Seay and Wilfredo Ledezma. Remember, the Tigers could afford to sign Mesa instead of a lefty specialist last winter because Rodney and Zumaya can get left-handed hitters out in big situations. That's no longer something they can plan for, not unless Rodney can handle a massive workload.

As for trading for relief help -- and I've already received plenty of emails suggesting that -- forget it. Effective eighth-inning guys don't become available this early in the season. They become available later if teams are willing to give up big prospects, and that's pointless if Zumaya is expected back around the trade deadline anyway.

If it turns out the Tigers do have a non-Zumaya plan long-term, they're going to have to turn inward for it. And if Eulogio De La Cruz can build on his last two starts at Double-A Erie, it's going to be interesting to see if the Tigers eventually think about him. Keep in mind, they didn't need him starting in the minors; they wanted him starting so that he could learn to control his fastball and round out his game rather than overthrow. To take him out of that role hampers that development and his future. But he's the one power arm in the system who's anywhere close to Major League ready, he has experience as a reliever, and he's looking like a strikeout pitcher.

In short, to say the Tigers can win without Zumaya is relative. They're still a very good team, no question, but Zumaya is one of the factors that makes them great. And it's hard to blare guitar riffs for great changeups.