With Austin Jackson sidelined by a day-to-day abdominal strain, Don Kelly will bat leadoff and start in center field in Thursday's series finale against Minnesota.
Cleaned up some of the links and bumped to the front. -- Rob Last night during the eighth inning of the game between the Rays and Red Sox second baseman Will Rhymes (of the Rays) came up to bat against the hard-throwing left-handed reliever ...
The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights. Was that Bigfoot or Sasquatch?: Oh, neither. Just the second home run of the season ...
Source: Bless You Boys by Rob Rogacki
Minnesota Twins (11-26) at Detroit Tigers (18-19)Time/Place: Comerica Park, 1:00 p.m.
SB Nation Blog: Twinkie Town
Media: Fox Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: Doug Fister (0-1, 0.54 ERA) vs.
Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
For the second straight game, a Detroit Tigers starter could only manage four innings before the team needed to go to its bullpen earlier than expected to eat the final innings.Source: Bless You Boys by Rob Rogacki
Justin Verlander donated a lot of money to charity, Prince Fielder leads the majors in consecutive games played, and Brett Lawrie gets suspended for 4 games. These stories and an unfortunate anniversary for Ty Cobb in today's Morning Prowl.
Tigers' Verlander gives $45K to veterans from 'Fastball Flakes' proceeds - The Detroit News, Tony Paul
"Every once in awhile, Justin Verlander will sneak into a
Source: MLive.com by Chris Iott | ciott@mlive.com
A groin injury has kept Inge out of the past four games, and a decision about a possible stint on the disabled list will likely be made Thursday.
Source: Motor City Bengals by Chris Hannum
In the middle of another inept non-save appearance on Tuesday, Jose Valverde heard something ‘pop’ in his lower back. He wasn’t able to finish the at-bat, much less the game. Yesterday evening in Detroit, in the middle of an awkward swing against … [visit site to read more]
Valverde Goes DTD, Then Jackson - Motor City Bengals - Motor City Bengals - A Detroit Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Only the Minnesota Twins could tar an inspiring victory with news that another starting pitcher was hurt and their leading run producer was headed to the disabled list.Source: Yahoo! Sports
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Albert Pujols welcomed his new hitting coach to town with a go-ahead three-run homer and Vernon Wells added a two-run shot to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Source: Scout.com
Stay current with all the roster movement and personnel decisions with the TigsTown Transaction Blog. Brayan Villarreal is back in Detroit after the Tigers decided they needed more bullpen arms.Source: Yahoo! Sports
Things have gone from bad to worse for a Detroit Tigers team expected by many to win the AL Central. The injuries are mounting, as are the losses - even against seemingly inferior competition.Source: The Detroit News by Bob Wojnowski
Source: The Detroit News by Rod Beard - The Detroit News
Source: The Detroit News by Tony Paul
Source: The Detroit News by Tom Gage - The Detroit News
Source: The Detroit News
Source: MLB.com by Jason Beck
Austin Jackson left Wednesday's 11-7 loss to the Twins after four innings with a mild abdominal strain and is day to day.Source: The Detroit News by - The Detroit News
Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
The Tigers will recall right-handed reliever Brayan Villarreal and have optioned infielder Danny Worth to Triple-A Toledo.Source: Bless You Boys by Kurt Mensching
Final - 5.16.2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Minnesota Twins 2 3 1 0 0 2 1 0 2 11 14 0 Detroit Tigers 1 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 11 4 WP: Alex Burnett (1 - 0)
What an ugly loss. You can be forgiven for reaching for your
Source: MLB.com by Tyler Emerick
The Tigers will try to reverse Doug Fister's fortunes Thursday, when they meet the Twins in the finale of the short two-game series.Source: Bless You Boys by Kurt Mensching
When Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson left the game after the fourth inning, it was a bit of a scary moment. He grimaced as he swung the bat and ran to first base for the final out. Assisted by Tigers trainer Kevin Rand, he was replaced by Don Kelly between innings.
Naturally when you see the replay of the injury, you start to worry about the oblique. It's the kind of injury that seems mysterious and lingers for far too long. Jackson described the problem as being an abdominal strain when speaking to the media during the Fox Sports Detroit post game.
"I kind of felt it pull a little bit,"
Source: MLB.com by Jason Beck
The Tigers had two leads they couldn't preserve Wednesday. The resulting 11-7 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park left them again alternating wins and losses, and sitting back at a game under .500.Source: The Detroit News by Rod Beard - The Detroit News
Source: MLive.com by Chris Iott | ciott@mlive.com
Rhymes made his way to first base after being hit in the right arm by a 95-mph fastball, then collapsed into the arms of his first base coach while trying to make his way to the dugout.Source: Bless You Boys by Kurt Mensching
I thought there'd be a move after the game. I thought it might be one of the not-so-stellar middle relievers being pushed to Triple-A Toledo to bring up a maybe-they'll-do-better middle reliever. I thought wrong.
Infielder Danny Worth hadn't had much playing time. He hadn't done much with the playing time he had. So Worth was optioned to Toledo, while Brayan Villarreal is back up.
Villarreal did fine in 1 2/3 innings during his earlier stint with the team. He had a 1.29 ERA with the Hens, still walking a few too many but certainly striking out a bunch.
Source: Bless You Boys by Kurt Mensching
Snap Reaction: Detroit's bullpen gave up a bunch of runs. Minnesota's didn't. That's the difference in a nut shell.
This was not a good day to be Rick Porcello. Or any pitcher, really. But especially Porcello.
I don't know about you, but I have a hard time remembering when last I saw the entire infield make an error. Prince Fielder and Ramon Santiago committed a pair in the first inning. Minnesota scored two. Ryan Raburn added one in the second
Source: Yahoo! Sports
DETROIT (AP) Jamey Carroll hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to give Minnesota the lead, and the Twins outlasted the sloppy Detroit Tigers 11-7 on Wednesday night.Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
Detroit battled back from three early-inning deficits, but couldn't pull off a late-inning rally when it mattered most, falling 9-7 to the last-place Minnesota Twins.Source: Yahoo! Sports
DETROIT (AP) Detroit center fielder Austin Jackson is day to day after leaving Wednesday night's game against Minnesota with a mild abdominal strain.Source: The Detroit News by Rod Beard - The Detroit News
Source: MLB.com by Jason Beck
Austin Jackson left Wednesday's game against the Twins following four innings with a mild abdominal strain and is day to day.Source: The Detroit News by Rod Beard - The Detroit News
Source: Beck's Blog by Jason Beck
The Tigers have gotten an impressive start at the plate from third-year leadoff man Austin Jackson, but they now have to wonder if their offense can get going without him. Jackson left Wednesday’s game against the Twins after four innings after suffering a mild abdominal strain on a swing.
Jackson is listed as day-to-day.
A television replay showed Jackson wince as he flew out to center field to end the fourth inning. He began to walk out towards the outfield when head athletic trainer Kevin Rand came out from the dugout to attend to him.
Rand accompanied Jackson back into the dugout and down the stairs to the clubhouse as Don Kelly took over in center field to begin the fifth inning.
Any loss of Jackson is a huge concern for the Tigers. While Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are the star hitters in the lineup, Jackson has been the catalyst from the leadoff spot so far this year. The 25-year-old entered Wednesday ranked sixth in the American League with a .323 batting average and .409 on-base percentage, numbers he built on with singles in each of his first two at-bats Wednesday night.
Jackson also ranked fourth among AL hitters with 27 runs scored and ninth with 20 walks.
Jackson’s three-run homer Tuesday in Chicago completed an eight-run sixth-inning comeback against the White Sox, sending the Tigers on their way to a critical 10-8 win.
Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
Detroit Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson exited Wednesday's game in the fourth inning with a mild abdominal strain.Source: MLB.com
Phil Coke threw a particularly long side session before Sunday's game in Oakland, then he felt the difference in Tuesday's game at Chicago.Source: MLB.com
Octavio Dotel's 13 teams are a Major League record. He took his share of another record when he collected the save in Tuesday's win over the White Sox, making the Tigers the ninth team for which he has collected a save.Source: MLB.com
Jose Valverde will likely not get a save chance against the Twins, no matter what the Tigers do. He's expected to miss the next couple days with what was diagnosed as a lower back strain.Source: Beck's Blog by Jason Beck
The Tigers have gotten an impressive start at the plate from third-year leadoff man Austin Jackson, but they now have to wonder if their offense can get going without him. Jackson left Wednesday’s game against the Twins after four innings after seemingly injuring himself on a swing.
A television replay showed Jackson wince as he flew out to center field to end the fourth inning. He began to walk out towards the outfield when head athletic trainer Kevin Rand came out from the dugout to attend to him.
Rand accompanied Jackson back into the dugout and down the stairs to the clubhouse as Don Kelly took over in center field to begin the fifth inning.
Any loss of Jackson is a huge concern for the Tigers. While Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are the star hitters in the lineup, Jackson has been the catalyst from the leadoff spot so far this year. The 25-year-old entered Wednesday ranked sixth in the American League with a .323 batting average and .409 on-base percentage, numbers he built on with singles in each of his first two at-bats Wednesday night.
Jackson also ranked fourth among AL hitters with 27 runs scored and ninth with 20 walks.
Jackson’s three-run homer Tuesday in Chicago completed an eight-run sixth-inning comeback against the White Sox, sending the Tigers on their way to a critical 10-8 win.
Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
Detroit Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson exited Wednesday's game in the fourth inning with an unspecified injury.Source: Bless You Boys by Rob Rogacki
Austin Jackson is hurt. This is not good.
Source: MLB.com by Jason Beck
If there was ever a natural fit for the Tigers in Interleague Play, it's this year. That's the good news they face as they prepare for another stretch against the National League.Source: Bless You Boys by allikazoo
Current Series 2 game series vs Twins @ Comerica ParkMinnesota Twins Twinkie Town
@ Detroit Tigers Bless You Boys
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:05 PM EDT
Comerica Park
Source: Yahoo! Sports
DETROIT (AP) Detroit manager Jim Leyland says closer Jose Valverde is day to day with a strained lower back.Source: Bless You Boys by allikazoo
Current Series 2 game series vs Twins @ Comerica ParkMinnesota Twins Twinkie Town
@ Detroit Tigers Bless You Boys
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:05 PM EDT
Comerica Park
Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com
Detroit Tigers left-hander Andy Oliver finished last season tied for the third most strikeouts in the International League. This season, he's all alone in first.
Source: Bleacher Report
Last week, featured columnist Matt Bowen wrote a piece urging the dismissal of Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. While I initially disagreed, I've had some time to simmer on this debate, and perhaps the answer isn't is clear as I once suggested.
I wrote an article three days ago ridiculing armchair managers calling for McClendon's dismissal. I disagree with fans on this mostly because while they have good intentions, they place far too much weight on the shoulders of a hitting coach. But last night something happened that got me thinking.
Late Tuesday night the Angels announced the firing of longtime hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who'd been with the team since 1999. He was there when the Angels outperformed all teams in batting average (.285) in 1999, and managed to set franchise records in hits (1604), runs (883), and RBI (841).
Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto commented on the firing:
"Sometimes in the sports world a point is reached where perhaps a new voice is needed in order to attain the desired goals and objectives. Unfortunately we feel this is one of those times. Offensively we have underachieved and everyone shares in the responsibility of what has transpired thus far."
Dipoto's tone here is remarkably remorseful. One might even sense an air of regret. The problem is, Dipoto is right: there comes a time when "perhaps a new voice" could really stir the pot. Maybe it doesn't have much at all to do with what Hatcher's incapability.
I have always been on the side of the argument that pitching and hitting coaches play less of a role than the public thinks, and that has steered my commentary over the last several years. However, the firing of Hatcher brought some striking comparisons to mind.
Hather is being replaced by Jim Eppard, who's been with the Angel's Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City for ten years. He has worked with Mark Trumbo, Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout at the Triple-A level.
He is a new voice, that's the main thing, but it shouldn't be taken lightly that he's already spent time with some of the Angels young sluggers. Their progress is fresh on his mind.
Consider this coach-player relationship when thinking of the Detroit Tigers: McClendon has manned his post under Jim Leyland since 2007. His numbers as a player were not impressive; in over eight years in the Majors, McClendon's slash line was: .244/.325/.381.
Like Hatcher with the Angels, McClendon oversaw great success with his team. In five years as hitting coach for the Tigers, the team managed to finish in the top five in batting average four times.
In 2007, he guided the team to their 14th best batting average in team history (.287). The truth remains, however, that McClendon was never much of a hitter himself.
This is where my reluctance to release McClendon hits a roadblock. An hour south in Triple-A Toledo sits Leon “Bull” Durham, the Mud Hens hitting coach. His slash line over ten seasons in the majors: .277/.356/.475. During his decade as a Major Leaguer, he hit 147 home runs.
It's not fair to assume that because someone was a good hitter, they are a good coach, but it's worth taking into account. It's times like this when the little things stand out. The Tigers are 18-18, which is poor considering the expectations leading into the season.
Just as Jim Eppard had worked with the Angels' young bats, Leon Durham has worked with Tigers youngsters like Brennan Boesch, Andy Dirks and Danny Worth, all players trying to contribute to a hefty lineup.
In the end, Hatcher can't be blamed for the under-performance of Albert Pujols, just as McClendon shouldn't take the heat for the slow starts of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera. Perhaps the Angels' brass decided that Hatcher's coaching ability wasn't the problem, but as GM Dipoto simply put it, "a new voice was needed."
There's no silver-bullet answer to this question, but I'll be the first to admit that maybe the armchair managers were right (even if they didn't know why) that perhaps the Tigers could freshen things up by calling Leon “Bull” Durham up to fill McClendon's shoes.
Read more Detroit Tigers news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
DETROIT (AP) Minnesota's Justin Morneau is coming off the 15-day disabled list and is hitting fifth for the Twins on Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers.Source: The Detroit Tiger Weblog by Coleman
Ryan Raburn can’t get no respect.
Raburn’s first home run of the year was the deadly blow in the Tiger’s 8-run, comeback 6th inning, which overcame a seemingly insurmountable lead built against Max Scherzer, jinxed by Kevin In Dallas.
And yet, in the account of the three 6th inning home runs, Jackson “belted” his, Cabrera “jackhammered” a massive shot, but Raburn merely “flicked” one over the wall. No respect.
The Tigers are back in Detroit for another 2-day doubleheader, this one against their once-upon-a-time nemesis, the Minnesota Twins.
Rick Porcello, who has hopefully escaped jinxing, will take on Nick Blackburn, who doesn’t seem to like staying up late. During day games Blackburn has a career 3.91 ERA. Nick at Night is not so good though, putting up an ERA of 5.13.
Today’s Player of the Pre-game: Alex Avila. Last night after Valverde gave up back to back singles and went to a 3-1 count on the next batter, Avila summoned trainer Kevin Rand to the mound and Valverde was removed. Tonight Avila’s job is to summon Kevin Rand as soon as either Balester or Putkonen step on the mound.
Tonight’s Ramonburn Lineup:
Why Sign Up?
Comment on stories and interact with our community
Learn more
Reopen Closed Window
Email
Twitter
Facebook
