Will Rhymes’ fantastic effort in the Tigers 9-4 rout of the Angels on Sunday won’t be enough to save his job.
Rhymes had three hits and drove in two runs and also scored twice, but Carlos Guillen’s impending return meant someone had to go. Unfortunately, it’s going to be the surprisingly sure-handed young infielder Rhymes.
“We look like fools, probably, because he had three hits,” manager Jim Leyland said. “But Carlos is the second baseman and we have nowhere to play Rhymes.
Rhymes hit .259 in his time with the Tigers, driving in four runs and committing no errors at second base. That error-less streak almost changed Sunday when Rick Porcello, who was covering first base on a ground ball, couldn’t handle a throw from Rhymes. Fortunately for Rhymes, Porcello was instead charged with the error.
Guillen did fairly well rehabbing his strained calf at Single-A West Michigan. He hit .333 in two games and picked up a walk in his stint for the Whitecaps.
Guillen’s return means that Magglio Ordonez will be the only major cog missing from the Tigers’ lineup. Ordonez is still a long way away from returning, and with the way the Tigers are playing (just six wins since the All-Star break), it looks like it will be too little, too late.