Just when the Tigers started to get everyone healthy they have to place one of their best players on the 15-day disabled list. Ordonez has a pulled right oblique muscle which will cause him to miss at least the next two weeks. Ordonez has played in 80 games for the Tigers this season and he is 92 for 300 (.307 avg, .866 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 12 homers and 50 RBIs. The Tigers have recalled lefty swinging outfielder Matt Joyce from AAA ball. Joyce played in 18 games earlier this season for the Tigers and he was 11 for 53 (.208 avg, .780 OPS) with 9 runs scored, 5 homers and 10 RBIs. Even if Joyce plays well the Tigers will still miss Ordonez who has been the best hitter on the Tigers this season.

The Tigers have traded 27-year old righty reliever to the Pirates for 23 year old righty reliever Kyle Pearson. Pearson has pitched in 16 games (0 starts) in A+AA ball this season and he is 1-1 with 4 saves, a 6.85 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP. He has walked 16 batters in 22.1 innings this year. Bautista pitched in 16 games (0 starts) with the Tigers this year and he was 0-1 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.

The Tigers have placed C/3B/OF Brandon Inge on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled oblique muscle. This pretty much means that Ivan Rodriguez will be playing almost every day until Inge is ready to return. Inge has played in 52 games this season for the Tigers and he is 31 for 144 (.215 avg, .728 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 6 homers and 23 RBIs. The Tigers have recalled catcher Dane Sardinha to replace Inge on the roster. The 29-year old righty swinging Sardinha was not playing well in AAA this season. He has played in 48 games in AAA ball this season and he is 34 for 165 (.206 avg, .610 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 6 homers and 16 RBIs. Sardinha has played in 2 major league games in his career and he is 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Bautista got caught in a numbers game in Detroit and it didn’t help matters walking 14 batters in 19 innings this season. Bautista pitched in 16 games (0 starts) for the Tigers this season and he was 0-1 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. He will likely hook on with another team because of his arm strength but the Tigers won’t lose any sleep over him being gone.

Miguel Cabrera appears to just be happy he’s rich as he seems to be coasting on the field this season. He has played in 69 games for the Tigers this year and he is 73 for 257 (.284 avg, .828 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 10 homers and 42 RBIs. Cabrera also has been pretty bad on defense at both 3B and 1B this season. If Cabrera starts to get motivated he can carry the Tigers’ offense by himself but he has to want it. After all, Cabrera has a career .310 batting average and a .920 OPS which are pretty darn impressive numbers. Basically, he needs to get his act together now because the Tigers aren’t out of the American League Central race yet.