Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Pitcher Activated From Disabled List, Will Start Tuesday In Triple-A

Back to health from the intercostal strain that forced him to the disabled list in early July, Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Smyly has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo and is expected to start on Tuesday.

Due to the fact that the Tigers recently acquired Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez to round out the pitching rotation, Smyly is expected to remain with the Mud Hens for the remainder of the year to continue his development. Seeing as how impressive he looked through 15 starts with the club earlier this year though, Smyly is essentially one injury away from getting another shot in the big leagues this season.

Still just 23 years old, Smyly visibly slowed down as the year wore on after creating a huge buzz right out of the gate. Over his first seven major league starts the left-hander owned a sparkling 2.31 ERA despite not receiving much run support. Aside from whiffing 10 batters in his most recent start on July 6 though, Smyly ended his brieft stint in the Tigers' rotation with a 4.42 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.

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Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Rookie Pitcher Will Return To Mound On Tuesday

While it was initially a mystery on which young Detroit Tigers hurler, either Drew Smyly or Jacob Turner, would make Tuesday's upcoming start against the Texas Rangers, the club's swift roster move following Sunday's win over Pittsburgh offered a clear, concise answer.

Turner is still viewed as the most precious pitching prospect in the Tigers' organization, but Smyly's quick ascension into a back-of-the-rotation role this season has made him arguably a more valuable commodity right now for Detroit's sub-.500 squad.

It's also clear that the Tigers aim to do everything in their power to avoid forcing Turner to pitch against the most potent offense in baseball if they can avoid it at this stage of his development. In addition to that concern, Smyly's blister injury was never truly deemed as serious as was initially feared, and many close to the team are fully expecting the 23-year-old rookie to pick up right where he left off now that he's free from the disabled list.

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Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Pitcher Could Start Tuesday Against Texas

Fully healed from the blister injury that forced him to the 15-day disabled list, Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly is nearing a return to the mound and might even get the ball for Tuesday's game against Josh Hamilton and the Texas Rangers.

The Detroit News' Lynn Henning noted on Sunday that Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has already decided on a starter internally, but has not publicly stated whether it will be Smyly or top prospect Jacob Turner who gets the ball on Tuesday:

Considering how the Tigers are playing such a high-powered offense like the one Texas uses to run through unsuspecting pitching staffs seemingly at will, it's entirely conceivable that Leyland will try to keep his future stud Turner away from an ERA-killing match up like this. Smyly has been chomping at the bit to get back on the field for the big club for more than a week now, and his left-handed arm could be a vital asset against the Rangers' lineup.

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Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Pitcher To Have Rehab Assignment With Toledo Thursday

Though Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Smyly can't return to the team's official roster until next week, he's adamant that he's completely healed from injury. Smyly went to the disabled list with a blister injury earlier in the month but recently had a pain-free bullpen session and claims he's good-to-go. It's likely that he didn't actually need to hit the DL with his injury, but the Tigers would rather be safe than sorry, given his strong play thus far this season.

According to Brian Britten on Twitter, Smyly is going to join Triple-A Toledo on Thursday night in a rehab assignment, as he's still on the DL and unable to return to the Tigers' rotation just yet:

Smyly will join Toledo to start on Thursday night as part of injury rehab assignment. He is slated to throw three innings. #tigers

— Brian Britten (@BBritten_Tigers) June 20, 2012

Smyly had a 3.96 earned run average over 12 starts with a 1.27 WHIP. He's 2-2 on the season, but the Tigers have been struggling to produce solid offense to back him up, and he certainly should have a better record given the way that he's been pitching in his rookie season.

In his last start before hitting the DL, Smyly lasted just three innings and he clearly struggled in prior starts. Before the DL stint, his last five starts saw his ERA rise from 2.31 to 3.96, so we'll see if the time off has helped him get back to form.

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Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Pitcher Throws Pain-Free Bullpen Session

The Detroit Tigers were given some promising news about injured left-handed starting pitcher Drew Smyly on Tuesday, as the rookie hurler completed a pain-free first bullpen session since going on the disabled list on June 14.

While he still won't be eligible to return to Detroit's active roster until next week, Smyly is adamant that he's 100% over the blister injury that forced him to the bench earlier in the month. "It's not a problem anymore," Smyly told MLive.com's Chris Iott. "I'm good to go as soon as I come off the DL."

The 23-year-old rookie was an integral part of the Tigers' rotation before his injury, posting a 3.96 ERA through 12 starts with a respectable 1.27 WHIP. Considering how quickly Smyly has already proclaimed himself ready for action after suffering the blister a mere five days ago, it appears quite likely that the DL stint was merely a formality and that he'll be able to pick up right where he left off.

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Drew Smyly Injury: Tigers Pitcher Placed On DL; Ryan Raburn Recalled

The Detroit Tigers have placed rookie pitcher Drew Smyly on the disabled list, and have recalled previously-demoted second baseman Ryan Raburn from Triple-A.

Tigers media relations director Brian Britten was among those to report the news on Twitter:

Smyly has been placed on DL retro to 6/11 with blister on left middle finger. Raburn has been recalled from Toledo today. #tigers

— Brian Britten (@BBritten_Tigers) June 14, 2012

Smyly lasted just three innings in his last outing on June 10. Over his last five starts, Smyly's ERA went from 2.31 to 3.96. His blister issue is not believed to be the cause of his recent troubles, but if this nasty picture is any indication, it warranted a trip to the DL.

Raburn was sent down on May 29. At the time he was batting .146 with a dreadful .209 on-base percentage. He hit just .194 with Toledo before getting called up.

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Tigers Call Up Omir Santos To Take Ryan Raburn's Roster Spot

The Detroit Tigers sent Ryan Raburn down to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, as he has struggled mightily at the plate. Jim Leyland gave him as many opportunities as possible, but ultimately decided that he should be demoted. His replacement wasn't immediately announced. On Wednesday, Brian Britten Tweeted who would be called up:

Tigers have purchased the contract of C Omir Santos from Triple A Toledo today. #tigers

— Brian Britten (@BBritten_Tigers) May 30, 2012

It's worth noting because the Tigers still have something of a hole at second base. It was already noted that they wouldn't call up a second baseman, but it's still significant. It's also worth noting due to the fact that the Tigers have a very solid catcher in Alex Avila, who is batting .239 in 40 games this year.

More than that, Gerald Laird is already on the roster as Avila's backup and is patting .316 in 16 games with only two strikeouts to his name. This could mean that the Tigers are actively looking for a second baseman, as Danny Worth and Ramon Santiago are currently splitting starts there. So the promotion of Santos could be a temporary measure so as not to waste a spot on the roster.

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Ryan Raburn Demoted To Triple-A, Corresponding Move Coming Wednesday

Before Tuesday night's game, Jim Leyland said that Ryan Raburn's leash was short. This is how short Raburn's leash was:

Tigers have optioned Ryan Raburn to Toledo following tonight's game. The club will announce a corresponding roster move on Wednesday.

— Brian Britten (@BBritten_Tigers) May 30, 2012

Raburn has been a perpetual second half hitter in his career (.300/.351/.847 vs. .214/.273/.642), but Leyland was hoping to spark the magic a little bit earlier this season. Raburn rewarded Leyland's loyalty with a .146/.209/.420 hitting line in 135 plate appearances as the starting second baseman.

As to who the Tigers will call up, any guess is probably as good as mine. Leyland said that it most likely will NOT be a 2B and that Danny Worth and Ramon Santiago will split starts for the time being. That rules out Eric Patterson or Justin Henry from the Mud Hens.

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