The Tigers are going to try something new at third base tonight as Ryan Raburn will make his second appearance of the season at the hot corner against the Royals.
Wilson Betemit started Friday night’s game, but the Tigers made a few defensive miscues in the 4-3 win. Betemit had a base hit go off his glove to start the seventh inning, a three-run rally by the Royals that erased a 3-0 lead.
Raburn has split his time between second base and the outfield for most of the season. Carlos Guillen’s return from the disabled list has limited Raburn’s opportunity at second base and Detroit’s crowded outfield has left manager Jim Leyland struggling to find a spot for him.
After a slow start, Raburn has picked up his bat a lot, hitting .275 in July and .500 (4-for-8) in August.
Raburn hopefully won’t be needed to show off his defensive prowess too much as Justin Verlander makes his first start since nearly no-hitting the Los Angeles Angels last Sunday. He’ll try for his 16th win of the season.