Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 8-30-11
--1B Miguel Cabrera has a chance for his eighth consecutive 100-RBI season. Cabrera reached 84 for the season with an run-scoring double in the fifth inning, his second of three hits.
--RHP Max Scherzer couldn't fine-tune his fastball control in Monday's loss to the Royals. "He just couldn't locate," manager Jim Leyland said. "He just couldn't get his fastball where he was trying to throw it, and consequently he paid the price." Scherzer allowed 10 hits and seven runs in three-plus innings. C Alex Avila set up outside for fastballs that ran over the fat part of the plate or inside into the hitter's hot zone.
--LHP Duane Below saved Detroit's bullpen with 3 2/3 innings of relief. Below allowed two runs but was able to take the game from the fourth inning into the seventh so manager Jim Leyland didn't have to tax any of his late-inning relievers.
--RF Brennan Boesch is going to need surgery on his right thumb after the season to fix a partially torn ligament, but the Detroit medical staff hopes to get it to a point where the outfielder is able to play productively in September. Boesch has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, trainer Kevin Rand said. Boesch first injured the thumb three weeks ago in Cleveland. He played eight games before aggravating the injury. Boesch has hit .240 (6-for-25 with one double and one walk between flare-ups.
Boesch did some soft-toss prior to Detroit's game with Kansas City.
"He's trying whatever he can do," Rand said. "Right now he can't play with the way it is."
--INF/OF Ryan Raburn was able to grip a bat, and he may return to the lineup in a day or two. He has not played since jamming his right ring finger sliding into second base Saturday night. "He's doing a good job," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's getting some big hits." Raburn is hitting .363 (25-for-76) with eight extra-base hits since the All-Star break after hitting .213 in the first half of the season. He is hitting .240 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI for the season.
--CF Austin Jackson entered Detroit's opening game of its series with Kansas City hitting just .210 with 39 strikeouts in his first at-bat of the game. He flied to right in the first. Jackson had walked as Detroit's first hitter Sunday, just his eighth game-opening walk this season. Last year he hit .333 in his first at-bat with 25 strikeouts and 34 runs. "We have to keep working with him to get better at leading off the game," manager Jim Leyland said.
--RHP Al Alburquerque is not likely to return to the Detroit roster until after extra players can be brought up Sept. 1, although he got clearance to resume baseball activities. "Everything went well with him," trainer Kevin Rand said. "He was examined by Dr. Andrew Russman (on Monday) morning. He's cleared to begin all activity, which he's done. It's just a question now of getting him ready to pitch."
Alburquerque has been on the disabled list since Aug. 13 due to a concussion after being hit in the head with a line drive during batting practice in Baltimore.
"He hasn't faced a hitter in a while, so we'll just have to wait and see," manager Jim Leyland said. "We'll play it by ear."
Alburquerque is 5-1 with a 2.19 ERA in 34 games. He has struck out 57 batters in 37 innings this season.
--2B Carlos Guillen went 1-for-3 with a double Monday in his first rehab game for Class AAA Toledo. He has been out since Aug. 13 due to a sore left wrist, and he hopes to be activated in early September.
BY THE NUMBERS
15 -- Career triples by SS/2B Ramon Santiago following his three-bagger against Kansas City. Santiago has 23 career home runs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"What we're trying to do is work with the stability of the thumb and see if we can get him stable enough so he is able to hit. Obviously, we were able to do that for a bit of a time. He felt OK, but now he's feeling it again. Good Lord willing, we'll get him through the rest of the season. At the end of that, yes, he'll have to have (surgery) to correct it so he doesn't have to go through it anymore." -- Trainer Kevin Rand, revealing that RF Brennan Boesch has a partial ligament tear at the base of his right thumb that will require an operation following the season.
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