The Tigers are off today, as they prepare for a short 2-game series with the Oakland A's starting tomorrow night. We know Rick Porcello will pitch for the Tigers in game 1. Game 2 remains a mystery (as of this post). A couple of names from within the system have been mentioned, namely Charlie Furbush and Duane Below, and of those 2, Below seems like the more likely candidate. Furbush made an appearance last night for AAA Toledo, which makes any availability for a Wednesday start rather questionable. Otherwise, trade rumors keep surfacing, bringing names like Derek Lowe of the Atlanta Braves, Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies, Hiroki Kuroda of the LA Dodgers, and Jeremy Guthrie of the Baltimore Orioles, to name a few. Nothing hot about any of these rumors, and it appears as of now, nothing will come of said rumors. Usually with this we all play the waiting game.
Brandon Inge has seen a rather patient fan base in Detroit crumble away throughout the course of this season, and it has everything to do with not only his poor offensive production, but his defensive production as well. Inge has 8 errors in his time at third base this season compared to the 9 he had all of last season. His bat is an even bigger problem, logging a .180 batting average, 1 HR, only 10 total extra-base hits, and 38 hits overall. He hasn't recorded a base hit since July 3rd, and he seems rather put off with said fan base over the chorus of boos he's been receiving. Of course the simple solution is, produce more, field better, and all that goes away. Inge is drawing a $5.5 million paycheck this season, AND next season. At some point he has to know that what he's doing isn't alright.
Carlos Guillen made his return to the lineup against the White Sox, and for most Tigers fans his return is very much welcome. He comes back and replaces the also struggling Ryan Raburn at 2B, who is batting only .214, and is also a defensive liability too. Some might say Guillen is also a liability with the glove, but so far he and his damaged knee seem to be holding up. He has made a slew of plays in the field already, and has also contributed offensively by driving in the winning run in Sunday's 4-3 against the White Sox. Hard to predict whether or not his body will hold up for the rest of the season, but so far it's been a welcome return for Carlos. If he's to remain healthy, that closes a giant hole in the Tigers needs come trade deadline time.
One last thought, about Austin Jackson, who's been limited with a sore wrist sustained before the All Star break. He might find himself on the disabled list soon, and the Tigers might as well do it now, and get him healthy. His replacement, likely Andy Dirks, isn't a big change at the plate but will be a bit of a difference in the field. He'll likely spell time with Casper Wells who has done well in his defensive assignments anywhere in the outfield this season.
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