DETROIT — It says something when your manager seems like he doesn’t trust you in an elimination game — especially on a team that’s filled with defensive question marks.

Just last Sunday, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus had proclaimed Ezequiel Carrera the best of the remaining center fielders, the morning after Rajai Davis injured himself on the second-to-last game of the regular season.

One week later, Carrera’s not in the lineup when Davis can’t go for Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Instead, Don Kelly’s starting in center.

“Gut instinct, decided to go with Donnie. Defensively, they’re about the same,” Ausmus said before the win-or-go-home game. “Zeke probably runs a little bit better. Donnie, obviously, has a little more experience.”

Carrera does have far better speed. But other than the spectacular, highlight-reel catch in New York shortly after the trade deadline dealings brought him the big leagues, there have been more poor plays than good ones.

See: The single that got dumped in front of him in Game 2, chasing starter Justin Verlander from the game.

That’s one where you’d hope your center fielder gets a better jump, and makes a play.

Ausmus chose to play Carrera in the final game of the regular season, in part based on a ‘gut feeling’ that he’d been swinging the bat well. But, at the time, he still endorsed his defensive capabilities.

“In terms of from a defensive standpoint, it would probably be Carrera, Kelly first, but Tyler (Collins) could play center. Out of the three, Carrera’s probably the better center fielder out of all of them. Then Kelly, and Tyler,” Ausmus said. “All three of them are capable of playing it.”

Like Davis, Carrera’s fleetness of foot can be a bonus offensively — he finished with seven steals in the regular season, fifth-most on the team, despite playing just 45 games with the Tigers — but his defense has been spotty. Lots of bad jumps, poor routes.

Sitting him Sunday is merely an endorsement of that reality.

Rajai Davis was hopeful he'd play again in Game 3 of the Division Series, but with the cold weather, manager Brad Ausmus started Don Kelly in the key game instead.

Down 0-2, the Tigers turned to David Price on the mound, hoping he'd do the same thing he'd done in Game 162, helping seal a division title.

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

Baltimore leads, 2-0

G3: at Detroit, Sunday, Oct. 5, 3:45 p.m.

TV: TBS (Brian Anderson PBP, Dennis Eckersley/Joe Simpson color)

Radio: WXYT-AM (1270) and WWJ-AM (950), WMGC-FM (105.1 — ESPN feed)

DETROIT TIGERS

Ian Kinsler, 2B

Torii Hunter, RF

Miguel Cabrera, 1B

Victor Martinez, DH

J.D. Martinez, LF

Alex Avila, C

Nick Castellanos, 3B

Andrew Romine, SS

Don Kelly, CF

Pitcher: David Price, LHP (4-4, 3.59 ERA with Tigers)

[LINK: Manager Brad Ausmus on decision to start Kelly over Ezequiel Carrera]

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Nick Markakis, RF
Steven Pearce, 1B
Adam Jones, CF
Nelson Cruz, DH
Delmon Young, LF
J.J. Hardy, SS
Nick Hundley, C
Ryan Flaherty, 3B
Jonathan Schoop, 2B

Pitcher: Bud Norris, RHP (15-8, 3.65 ERA)

Other related links:
[ALDS schedule]
[Pressure's on Price again to produce with Tigers in an 0-2 hole]
[Verlander asks for #BlueOut at Comerica]
[Anibal Sanchez gives Tigers two good innings of relief, but no more]

DETROIT — The Rajai Davis saga will extend into Sunday’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series, with the center fielder, whose speed has been greatly hampered by a week-old pelvic injury, believing he’ll play.

“I am going to play,” he said emphatically at Saturday’s workout at Comerica Park. “I hope.”

If there was a game on Saturday, he’s not so sure, though.

“I’m glad there’s not, so I don’t even have to make that decision,” he admitted.

The injury has clearly robbed Davis of his one defining tool, his speed. He wouldn’t hazard a guess at the percentage.

“Not sure right now. I just know it’s been getting better every day. At the beginning of the game I’ve noticed more than in the middle of the game. At the beginning of the game, every game, I’ve been faster,” he said. “It’s getting better, actually. Every day, it’s getting better.

“It’s just not what we’re used to seeing.”

He was hobbling so badly in Friday’s Game 2, that manager Brad Ausmus removed him from the game after his second at-bat.

“It’s not tough at all. It’s humbling. I’m like some of the other guys that walk around here — just not as fast,” said Davis, who cackled when a reporter responded with “Welcome to our world.”

The Tigers designated right-handed reliever Evan Reed for assignment on Wednesday, after he posted an 8.38 ERA over his last 10 appearances, dating back a month.

It had more to do with those on-field issues, than the off-the-field ones. Four weeks ago, the Detroit Police Department requested a warrant from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in the sexual assault investigation involving Reed.

Asked if the move had any relation to the off-field problem, manager Brad Ausmus responded with: "Absolutely not."

Right-handed reliever Chad Smith was added to the roster to replace Reed.

The Toledo Blade's John Wagner reported Saturday night that left-handed reliever Blaine Hardy had been called up to the big leagues after the Mud Hens' game.

Detroit's bullpen was taxed Saturday night, as four different relievers combined to throw 83 pitches over a three-inning span, as what was once an 11-1 game turn into a 12-9 win.

A non-roster invitee to spring training, the left-handed Hardy has appeared in 20 games for the Toledo Mud Hens, posting a 2.68 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 13 walks in 47 innings pitched. He gives the Tigers something they've lacked since Luke Putkonen went on the disabled list — a long man.

No immediate indication was given who might be leaving the Tigers' roster to make room for Hardy.

There are several options.

If it's as a replacement for an as-of-yet undisclosed injury to any one of the Tigers relievers, then the move is self-explanatory. Ian Krol, who went 1 1/3 innings for his first big-league save, said he was battling through soreness in his biceps tendon, but that it was not serious enough to keep him from pitching tomorrow.

Corey Knebel is the low man on the totem pole. He's made six appearances, posting an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 1.650. He's also one of the three relievers who did not pitch, so it's not likely to be Knebel, if this is just a move to bring a fresh arm in.

Lefty Phil Coke, always the object of scrutiny, had posted a 1.80 ERA in six appearances so far this month before Saturday, when he gave up three runs in the eighth inning on three hits.

Evan Reed has posted a 8.22 ERA in his eight appearances since May 22, including one earned run allowed Saturday, when he couldn't get out of the seventh inning. That span started a day after the Detroit Police Department requested a warrant from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in an ongoing sexual assault investigation involving Reed.

[UPDATE: The Tigers called up Hardy Sunday morning, and optioned Knebel to Triple-A Toledo.]

DETROIT — More than 40 days ago, the Detroit Tigers inked a deal with former big-league closer Joel Hanrahan, in the hopes that he could eventually help the bullpen.

Everyone involved knew it would be a ‘later’ proposition, rather than sooner.

The 32-year-old Hanrahan, who was just two weeks shy of the one-year anniversary after Tommy John surgery when he signed with the Tigers, is nearly ready to take the next step in his rehabilitation, and face live hitters.

“Joel’s been throwing bullpens and once we feel comfortable his next step will be to face hitters in live BP (batting practice) sessions,” Tigers head trainer Kevin Rand said.

Hanrahan had a small hitch in his rehabilitation, when the Tigers slowed his progression, but he appears to be past that now.

“He’s been throwing bullpens fairly consistently for the past couple weeks. We had shut him down for a short period of time to kind of build up arm strength . We took him through a long toss progression and now we’ve taken him back through bullpens,” Rand said. “We’re hoping at this point that we can kind of get over the hump in the near future as throwing to some live hitters. He’s close to live hitters at this point.”

DETROIT — Detroit Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks took his first live batting practice swings on Friday, according to manager Brad Ausmus, who expected Dirks to receive a rehab assignment within the next week to 10 days.

“Probably, unless there’s some sort of setback,” Ausmus said. “I don’t have a date, not in terms of a rehab. I’m sure it’ll be within the next week to 10 days. But there’s no date, as of now.”

Head trainer Kevin Rand said Dirks took some live swings in an intrasquad game in Lakeland, Fla., and will play in a couple more intrasquad games.

Even if Dirks requires the maximum 10 days before getting his assignment, and stays the full 20 days in the minors allowed on a rehab assignment, that would put him in Detroit right at the All-Star break.

Dirks had microdiscectomy on March 10, during spring training, and was expected to miss 12 weeks. He began light baseball activities on May 10, then graduated to taking full swings two weeks later.

“Yeah, I talked to Dirks actually today. He said he’s feeling better,” Ausmus said. “Overall, he’s making progress like he’s on schedule, he’s making progress like he’s supposed to.”

When Vanderbilt — one of the main collegiate pipelines for the Detroit Tigers’ farm system — faced Georgia Tech in a winner-take-all game in the 2013 regional championship game, it was eventual Tigers draft pick Buck Farmer that the Commodores bested that day.

But it was Farmer’s teammate, Josh Heddinger, who’d put the Rambling Wreck in the position to play that game, pitching a complete-game, two-hit shutout of the Commodores a day earlier, forcing the if-necessary contest.

They could soon be teammates again, as Heddinger reportedly reached a deal Tuesday with the Tigers after he was drafted in the 14th round of last weekend’s draft. MLBpipeline.com’s Jim Callis reported he signed for $100,000.

Farmer went in the fifth round of last year’s draft, and has been part of the exceptional rotation at the Tigers’ Class A West Michigan affiliate.

While Heddinger has a similar build — 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds — and delivery to his former college teammate, he had far less consistent success on the collegiate level, going just 10-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 27 career starts at Georgia Tech. His junior season was not exceptional, either, as he went 4-5 with a 4.04 ERA, walking 33 and striking out 64 in 82 1/3 innings pitched.

He's not unused to pitching in big games, though. Heddinger started the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title game as a freshman, a year to the day after leading Buford High to the Georgia Class AA state championship.

DETROIT — Several of the positional leaders — including Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera — merely extended their leads in the third All-Star Game balloting update, released Sunday evening.

Cabrera led White Sox rookie Jose Abreu by 359,510 votes a week ago, but extended that lead to 632,361 by picking up nearly 500,000 votes in a week. Cabrera now has 1,477,420 votes, ranking third overall in the American League behind only Jose Bautista (2,135,223), who leapfrogged over Mike Trout (1,945,170) for the AL lead.

Ian Kinsler (887,544) is still second behind Robinson Cano (1,111,880) among second basemen, but lost ground, falling nearly 150,000 votes behind in the span of a week.

Victor Martinez (843,215) is third among designated hitters, behind Baltimore’s Nelson Cruz (1,404,275) and Boston’s David Ortiz (1,036,055)

Torii Hunter (666,116) is 10th among outfielders. No other Tigers are top-five at their positions.

West Bloomfield's Dazon Cole was drafted by the Braves in Round 29 of the MLB Draft on Saturday, at the same
time as he was finishing off his high school career with a loss in regionals. Cole is a Central Michigan University
commit. (The Oakland Press/PATRICK McINTYRE)

A dozen players with ties to Oakland County schools, or Michigan colleges were drafted in the three days of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft, most of them on the final day Saturday.

Round/Pick.....Player, school.............................................Drafting team 
5/152................Jordan Foley, Central Michigan RHP..........Yankees [STORY]
6/195...............Andrew Sohn, Western Michigan SS*..........Cardinals [STORY]
13/391.............Matt Trowbridge, Central Michigan LHP.....Orioles [STORY]
14/424.............James Borque, Univ. of Michigan RHP........Nationals
15/455.............Jimmy Pickens, Michigan State RF*.............Reds
16/489.............Devan Ahart, University of Akron*..............Dodgers
20/610.............Trent Szkutnik, Univ. of Michigan LHP.......Tigers
23/682..............Joel Fisher, Michigan State C*.....................Phillies
27/815..............Jake Paulson, Oakland University RHP*.....Reds
29/883..............Dazon Cole, West Bloomfield HS RHP*....Braves [STORY]
31/940.............Grant Reuss, Cranbrook Kingswood LHP*.Tigers
34/1030...........Sammy Stevens, Brother Rice HS C*..........Tigers
39/1178...........Jake Morton, Oakland University RHP.........Indians

* — Andrew Sohn is a Bloomfield Hills native, and a graduate of Brother Rice HS
Jimmy Pickens is a graduate of Brother Rice HS
Devan Ahart is a graduate of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s School
Joel Fisher is a Farmington Hills native, and a graduate of Farmington HS
Jake Paulson is a graduate of Walled Lake Central HS
Dazon Cole is a Pontiac native

After going away from their normal modus operandi of selecting power arms by taking a high school position player in the first round, the Tigers went right back to the norm in the second round, tabbing Alabama right-hander Spencer Turnbull with the 63rd overall pick.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s (hitting as high as 98 mph) making him profile as a guy who might end up in the bullpen in the future. He also has a slider that could develop into a better-than-average pitch, and a change-up, so he could remain as a starter, as well.

Despite pitching for one of the state of Mississippi's powerhouse prep programs, Madison Central, Turnbull was not drafted out of high school. He limited opponents to a .192 batting average against this season with the Crimson Tide, posting a 2.22 ERA, striking out 61 in 93 1/3 innings pitched as a junior. But he also walked 47, plunked 13, and tossed nine wild pitches, so control is not necessarily a strong suit.

Photo courtesy of MLB
Derek Hill (front) and his mother share a moment of happiness
after the Tigers picked Hill 23rd overall in Thursday's
first round of the draft.

A guest at the New Jersey MLB Draft headquarters for Thursday’s proceedings, high school center fielder Derek Hill was asked his favorite player. 

He did not hesitate in his answer, naming Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter, the nine-time Gold Glove winner.

When — and if — Hill signs, he’ll be in the same organization.

[PHOTO GALLERY]

The Tigers selected the speedster from Elk Grove High School in California with the 23rd pick in the first round of the MLB Draft.

A University of Oregon recruit, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Hill is one of the fastest players in the draft, running a sub-6.4-second 60-yard dash, and is the best defensive outfielder. His father, Orsino, a former minor-league player, is an area scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“My dad tells me to be humble and to appreciate this,” Hill told the Sacramento Bee. “I’ve been around the game my entire life, so I know how to act, what to say. It was a little more nerve-wracking at first for games but I just did the best I could, but it’s been an absolute blast. We’re almost there. Can’t wait.”

Several of the Tigers’ other favorite prospects — UNLV starter Erick Fedde, Virginia closer Nick Howard, TCU lefty Brandon Finnegan, Wichita St. first baseman Casey Gillaspie — went in the picks right before Detroit’s.

The Tigers have only drafted 23rd overall once before, in 1979, selecting Livonia High’s Chris Baker, as a compensatory pick for losing free agent Jim Slaton to the Brewers.

Detroit picks next at No. 63 in the second round. [UPDATED STORY]

DETROIT — Of the top two young middle infielders in the Detroit Tigers system, Hernan Perez was not the first one to get the call-up to the majors this season, and take a turn in the shortstop carousel.

But he might get a start before Euenio Suarez does.

Here’s why:

Suarez was called up Wednesday afternoon, and made his big-league debut later that night, winding up hurting his knee in his first at-bat.

Earlier in the game, starter Andrew Romine partially dislocated his shoulder on a diving defensive play.

With Suarez unable to take his scheduled start Thursday, that left the Tigers with Don Kelly, who has a total of 20 big-league innings (two starts) at shortstop on his resume, as the backup shortstop for the game.

He was on deck when the game ended, meaning he’d have gone out to short for the first time since 2007, if the Tigers had tied it up.

“We were down to our last out, so I don’t know that I’d want to throw Donnie out there for multiple innings, if I can possibly avoid it, so pinch-hitting earlier was a bigger risk,” manager Brad Ausmus, who wouldn’t tip which way he was leaning for Friday’s game. “Well, you certainly don’t generally want to run a team out there with a couple of people who can play shortstop. We’ll have to re-evaluate tomorrow, see how he (Suarez) feels. If it’s significantly better, great. If he doesn’t, then a decision might have to be made. No decision will be made until we talk to him tomorrow.”

While Suarez felt OK after Wednesday’s game, he was limping around the clubhouse Thursday morning. The team sent him for an MRI.

“The news was generally good. We’re hoping it’ll just be a few days,” Ausmus said. “Because of the position, obviously, we’ll have to see how he feels in the morning. But they don’t feel it’s major structural damage.”

That’s a lot the same diagnosis made on Romine’s shoulder. He said he felt it pop out when he landed awkwardly on a diving play. He stayed on the ground for several minutes, clearly in pain.

“I thought I broke something, for sure,” Romine said. “I wasn’t sure what I did, but I wanted to make sure nothing was broken before I tried to push off on it.”

Romine went for X-rays, which found no structural damage. He tested the shoulder, swinging right-handed (the biggest concern with a left shoulder injury) before acknowledging he could start Thursday’s game.

“I’ll play as much as I can,” said Romine, still clearly in pain, after the game.

If either Romine or Suarez can't go, don't be surprised if someone goes to the disabled list, and the Tigers call up Perez to cover themselves.

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers clearly needed help at shortstop all season long, but hesitated to rush one o their two minor-league prospects to fill the gap.

Until now.

According to the Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) Twitter account, the Tigers have promoted Eugenio Suarez from Triple-A Toledo.

The Tigers have not yet announced the promotion, nor the corresponding move. [UPDATED: The Tigers recalled the contract of Suarez from Toledo, and designated Danny Worth for assignment.]

Suarez started the season at Double-A Erie, but was promoted to the team’s top farm club on May 21.

Suarez hit .284 in 42 games at Double-A Erie (.347 on-base percentage, .503 slugging percentage, .850 OPS) with 14 doubles and six home runs. He hit .302 (.404 OBP, .535 SLG, .939 OPS) with two home runs and four doubles in 12 games at Toledo.

Despite winning just four of their last 14 games, and dropping three of four series, leaving them 17-12 in May, the Detroit Tigers are still favorites to win the American League Central, the American League, and the World Series, according to oddsmaker Bovada.

In fact, Bovada gives the Tigers better odds (6-to-1) to win it all than it did on May 1, when the Tigers were listed at 13-to-2.

The San Francisco Giants (7-to-1), Oakland A’s (9-to-1), St. Louis Cardinals (9-to-1) and Toronto Blue Jays (10-to-1) all improved their odds over the last month, while the preseason favorite Los Angeles Dodgers (8-to-1) slid another spot.

Bovada gives the Tigers 1-to-10 odds (4-to-11 last month) to win the AL Central, and 3-to-1 odds (13-to-4 last month) to win the pennant.

Miguel Cabrera (7-to-2) remains behind Mike Trout (8-to-5) in the odds for the AL Most Valuable Player award, while teammate Victor Martinez is sixth at 12-to-1 odds.

After ranking only behind Felix Hernandez in the odds for the AL Cy Young, Max Scherzer (15-to-2) and Justin Verlander (12-to-1) slipped to fifth and eighth, respectively.

The MLB Network Showcase will carry two Detroit Tigers games to its broadcast schedule for the month of June. The broadcasts are available in the team's home TV market, but will still be broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit

MLB Network will broadcast the Friday, June 6 series opener between the Red Sox and Tigers from Comerica Park. Matt Vasgersian will do the play-by-play, while John Smoltz and Tom Verducci will do the color commentary.

The series opener in Texas between the Tigers and Rangers on Tuesday, June 24 will also be on the network. Vasgersian and Smoltz will be on that broadcast, along with reporter Sam Ryan.

DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera (hamstring cramp) and Joba Chamberlain (right ankle contusion) both left Sunday’s game early, a half-inning apart, and are day-to-day.

In the seventh inning of a 10-run game, Cabrera singled through the left side. On a foul ball by Don Kelly, Cabrera appeared to pull up lame, and hobbled almost all the way to second base.

Trainer Kevin Rand and manager Brad Ausmus immediately came out to check on him, and replaced him with pinch runner Bryan Holaday.

“He said he could stay in. If this was Sept. 19, and this was an important game, and we weren’t down by 10, it would’ve been a different story,” Ausmus said.

“There was no reason to take a risk. Just get him out of there.”

Cabrera is coming off surgery in the offseason to repair a core muscle injury.

Chamberlain got kicked in the foot trying to cover the bag at first base on an infield hit by Rougned Odor. Rand and Ausmus went out to check on him, but left him in, then pulled him after he walked Shin-Soo Choo.

Ausmus said the concern level about Chamberlain was low, but had not yet spoken with Cabrera or Rand.

Cabrera said it was just a cramp, and he already felt better, after the game.

DETROIT — The minute Andrew Romine hit his first career home run Friday night, ending an 0-for-28 streak, manager Brad Ausmus hoped aloud that it portended good things for the Tigers shortstop.

He was right.

Romine went 2-for-4 with a couple singles in Saturday’s game, then — after spending 10 minutes or so working with hitting coach Wally Joyner after the contest — added an RBI single in his first at-bat Sunday, giving him four hits in the span of seven at-bats.

It had taken 13 games before that to collect four hits.

“It’s funny, because I know he was working with Wally after the game. So, despite the fact that he had some good at-bats, there was something he felt was not quite right. He just took about 10 minutes to fine-tune something,” Ausmus said Sunday morning.

“He certainly looked a lot more comfortable at the plate, whether it was psychological, physical, I couldn’t tell you. But I was hoping that maybe that home run would be the start of something good, and it looks like it’s headed in that direction, and I hope it continues.”

While it’s a good sign that Romine is bringing his bat around, it’s just as important that he never let his struggles at the plate impact his play in the field.

“Those are two different things to me,” he said. “Being at the plate, once I’m not at the plate, I’m not a hitter anymore, I’m a fielder — or I’m a runner, if I put the ball in play. To me, there’s no comparison to them. They don’t carry over to me. Going out and playing defense is what I’m here for.”

That’s what his manager expected out of a guy who — despite just 70 career big-league starts — has been around the block, playing in 700 minor-league contests.

“Really young players are the ones you see that happen to,” Ausmus said. He’s been around enough, and he plays a premium position, defensively, so I think he’s learned coming up through the minors, and these short stints in the big leagues that taking your offense to shortstop with you is not going to help you stick around.”

I wrote yesterday that "Ian Kinsler should be judged for who he is, not who he isn't."

And I stand by that.

Especially considering Prince Fielder's out for the season, it's unfair for Kinsler — who had contributed far more, even when both were on the field for their respective teams — to be constantly compared to Fielder. (I'm adult enough to know it's going to happen. So is Kinsler.)

And it's obvious that many Tigers fans are still holding harsh feelings for their former first baseman.

One fan at Saturday's game, however, found a good way to continue to make use of an old Fielder shirsey, converting it to a Kinsler model, with the judicious use of what appears to be masking tape.

Below is the tweet from an elementary school principal, Michele Corbat, that brought the remodeling job to public attention.

Most creative #Tigers shirt! @tigers pic.twitter.com/58zgYXqPMs
— Michele Corbat (@MicheleCorbat) May 24, 2014

(Also, if anyone knows who the fan might be, let me know, so he can get credit for his work.)

The Tigers try to salvage a split playing the Rangers in the fourth and final game at the end of a brief homestand. Then, it's off to the West Coast again, starting with a series in Oakland.

Detroit comes into Sunday's game 1-5 in its last six games, since sweeping Boston.

Game time: 1:08 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Detroit
Radio: 97.1-FM and 1270-AM

Here are the lineups:

DETROIT TIGERS (28-17):
Rajai Davis, LF
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Miguel Cabrera, DH
Victor Martinez, 1B
Torii Hunter RF
Austin Jackson CF
Alex Avila, C
Nick Castellanos, 3B
Andrew Romine, SS

Pitcher: Justin Verlander, RHP (5-3, 3.55 ERA)

TEXAS RANGERS (24-25):
Shin-Soo Choo, DH
Elvis Andrus, SS
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Leonys Martin, CF
Michael Choice, LF
Robinson Chirinos, C
Rougned Odor, 2B

Pitcher: Colby Lewis, RHP (3-3, 5.40 ERA)