Sometimes, there’s a very valid reason to explain a guy’s struggles.

When Daniel Schlereth went on the disabled list in Toledo over the weekend, less than a week after being sent down to iron out his control difficulties, it may have been a little easier to explain his 10.29 ERA in seven innings of work.

The official diagnosis was shoulder tendinitis.

But it was the first the Tigers had heard of it.

“Did I have any suspicion? Absolutely none. To my knowledge, he hasn’t been on one (injury) report all spring,” said manager Jim Leyland, who gets daily updates on every nick, bruise and ailment.

“The one thing I learned a long time ago, if somebody tells you they’re hurt, they’re hurt. Don’t ever question it. But the only problem with this situation is, he never told anyone he was hurt up here.

If somebody hides it, you might be suspicious, but if you ask them, and they tell you ‘no, I’m fine’ well, then what’re you gonna do? That’s just the way it is.”

For a guy who’d been up and down three times in his first two years with the Tigers, and three times in his lone year with the Diamondbacks, there could be a valid reason to hide something minor.

“I suppose some guys want to stay in the big leagues, so they try to get through some stuff. ... But the first time, to my knowledge, that anybody at the major league level heard anything about Schlereth (being hurt), was after he went down to Toledo. So that’s Schlereth’s fault,” Leyland said.

“But, I also admire guys that try (to play through it). You know, Bondo (Jeremy Bonderman) was hurt a little bit, didn’t want to tell anybody, because he was a trooper. I think Schlereth’s a trooper, and I think he was probably hoping to get by, and wanted to stay in the big leagues like everybody does, so I don’t fault him.”

Zach Miner, acquired from the Royals for cash 10 days ago, was promoted from Double-A Erie to Toledo to take Schlereth’s spot on the Mud Hens’ roster.