DETROIT — With the Tigers scheduled to face a bevy of left-handed starters in the next few games, and Rajai Davis playing nearly every day in left field, anyway, they didn’t need left-handed-hitting outfielder Tyler Collins as much.

And they’ll likely need the extra arm that Justin Miller will provide.

News leaked last night that Miller would be headed to Detroit after the Mud Hens’ game.

Collins made the roster out of spring training, making the jump from Double-A.

He’d appeared in seven games so far, but none in the current homestand, and had two hits in 15 plate appearances.

The Tigers may have use for an extra arm in the bullpen today, considering Drew Smyly is making his first start of the season, and has only thrown a combined 98 pitches in his two relief appearances.

“I haven’t talked about it with Jonesy (pitching coach Jeff Jones) yet, but we’re certainly going to have to watch him,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He hasn’t pitched more than three innings since his last start in spring training.”

With Smyly likely to be limited in how deep he can go in Friday’s game, and neither Justin Verlander nor Anibal Sanchez having lasted longer than five innings in the last two games, the Tigers may be adding Miller just to make sure that the onus of picking up that slack doesn’t fall entirely on the shoulders of long reliever Luke Putkonen.