Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 6-24-11

--C Victor Martinez made an excellent defensive play in Detroit's 7-5 victory at Los Angeles on Wednesday. Martinez blocked the plate with his left leg, turned and made the tag on 1B James Loney to complete a double play initiated by RF Magglio Ordonez. Martinez had his leg in front of the plate and Loney couldn't budge it, his leg raising up and over the plate as he slid. Martinez made the tag before Loney could reach the plate with his hand. "It a good veteran play," manager Jim Leyland said. "The timing had to be right." Martinez probably returns to being the Tigers' principal designated hitter Friday night when Arizona visits Comerica Park.

--3B Brandon Inge was brought back from his rehab assignment (mononucleosis) and will be available for Friday night's game against Arizona. INF Danny Worth was sent back to Class AAA Toledo to make room for Inge on the roster. "I feel fine now and I need to be there," Inge said. "I can help out. Friday is the day I know I can get back. I am ready." Inge was 7-for-28 during his week-long rehab assignment, including two home runs in one game. He struck out seven times. He was placed on the disabled list June 2.

--INF Danny Worth was optioned back to Class AAA Toledo to make rooster room for the return of 3B Brandon Inge (mononucleosis), recalled from his injury rehab assignment. Worth has played in 17 games for Detroit in two stints with the team, hitting .310. He was used primarily at third and second.

--UT Don Kelly probably will see his playing time cut with the return of 3B Brandon Inge to Detroit's roster. Kelly was the primary third baseman while Inge was recuperating from mononucleosis and provided the Tigers with good defense, a lot of quality at-bats and decent run production. However he doesn't have Inge's power and run production potential and isn't at the regular's level defensively. "Donnie Kelly's done great and Danny Worth's done fine," manager Jim Leyland said. "They've caught the ball good, but if you think they're going to catch it like Inge every day, they're not. At some point they're not." Kelly could see more time at second, or third, against right-handed pitching if 2B Ryan Raburn continues to sputter and Inge's bat doesn't perk up.

--RHP Al Alburquerque is rolling up a very impressive rookie season in relief. He was given the victory in Detroit's 7-5 victory Wednesday over the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching 2 1/3 innings and getting four of his seven outs on strikeouts. Alburquerque has 44 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings with a 2.05 ERA. Opponents are hitting only .112 against him, largely because he has an upper-90s fastball with one of the sharpest-breaking sliders in the game. Manager Jim Leyland says he is monitoring his workload and watchful for elbow problems. "He's never been treated for the elbow or the shoulder," Leyland said. "He's been treated a couple times for tightness in his forearm, which happens to most guys." Alburquerque has pitched more than in inning in his last three games and seven of his 24 appearances since being brought up from the minors.

--RHP Ryan Perry will be officially recalled from Class AAA Toledo on Friday, with LHP Adam Wilk optioned out to create room on the roster. In nine games for Toledo, he had a 1.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 14 innings, walking only three batters. "Perry wasn't as effective the first time around," manager Jim Leyland said. "I think he will be. They say he's throwing great." "It was all mechanical," Perry said. "I watched a lot of video and compared it to how I looked in college and in my first year and a half and it was night and day."

BY THE NUMBERS
35 -- Strikeouts by Detroit hitters in three games against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Tigers fanned 11 times in each of the first two games and 13 in the winning conclusion to the 2-4 trip.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I felt bad for (RHP Rick) Porcello. He got nickel-and-dimed so bad. That's all part of the game, but I felt bad for him." -- Manager Jim Leyland, who had to remove starter Porcello with two out in the fifth, one out shy of the requirement to qualify as the winning pitcher in Detroit's 7-5 victory over the Dodgers.

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