Tigers closer Joe Nathan says he has a 'dead arm'

The Detroit Tigers went into the offseason hoping to shore up their bullpen, which had been one of their biggest weaknesses in 2013 (their 'pen finished 12th in the AL with a 4.01 ERA). 

They looked to have addressed at least some of those concerns with the signing of closer extraordinaire Joe Nathan, who they locked up for 2 years and $20 million. (That's a whole lot of dough to throw at a relief pitcher, so you get a sense of how desperate the Tigers were for late-game stability.)

But Nathan is also a 39-year-old who's undergone Tommy John Surgery, so it probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise that he's dealing with some arm issues. 

As Josh Slagter of mlive.com reports, Nathan appeared on Mad Dog Sports Radio to talk about some of the discomfort he's been feeling, which has possibly contributed to his slow start (he's allowed five baserunners in 2.2 innings and blew his first save opportunity  last Wednesday. 

The Tigers have to hope he can get through it soon. It's early yet, and they're off to a 4-2 start, but their bullpen is sporting a 5.74 ERA, and looking very much like the unit that helped undo the Tigers in the 2013 playoffs.