Figaro Gets the Start on Saturday

by Ian Casselberry on Sep 30, 2009 4:30 PM EDT in News Comment 20 comments

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Alfredo Figaro will make a spot start for the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, versus the White Sox.

With Monday's rainout pushing Rick Porcello's start to yesterday, there was some question as to who would pitch for the Tigers on Saturday.

Start Porcello on short rest? Move Justin Verlander up to pitch that game (which would also be on three days' rest)?

Jim Leyland preferred to keep Verlander on track to pitch Sunday, in case the AL Central race comes down to that last day on the schedule. (Plus, after throwing 129 pitches last night, the guy could really use the full rest.) And according to Jason Beck, Leyland doesn't plan on pitching Porcello again until the postseason (if the Tigers make it).

So who pitches Saturday? Alfredo Figaro gets the call (via Beck on Twitter).

Perhaps Leyland wanted to go with a superhero.

This isn't the most obvious choice, as Figaro hasn't started a game since June, when he went on the DL with a sprained wrist. The longest outing on his rehab assignment was four innings. And since being activated by the Tigers, he hasn't pitched more than three innings.

Did Leyland really have any other choice here? Who else could've started? We know Zach Miner won't do it. No one wants to see Armando Galarraga out there right now.

Of course, this would be a relatively stress-free situation if the Tigers were to clinch the AL Central before Saturday. I'm just sayin'...

0 recs | Comment 20 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

If we do clinch

How about a bullpen work day, where we announce who is pitching beforehand?

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Sep 30, 2009 4:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

When is Peavey supposed to start?

by Wayne Comer on Sep 30, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Friday, I believe

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Sep 30, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

peavy friday

Freddy saturday. Danks sunday. Yuck.

by rook34 on Sep 30, 2009 4:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I guess this must mean Armando's still injured

I was kinda curious about that (however, even I don’t want him necessarily pitching against the Twins).

http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com

by SabreRoseTiger on Sep 30, 2009 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

So, is this gonna be Alfredo Figaro's theme song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_blOQEu9ws

http://tigersamateuranalysis.blogspot.com

by SabreRoseTiger on Sep 30, 2009 4:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Huff is out of the lineup!

Clete is in right, Maggs is the DH.

by StringTheory on Sep 30, 2009 5:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not sure that is much of an improvement...

But at least jim is paying attention.

by rook34 on Sep 30, 2009 5:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Gamblin' Jim

Throwin’ the dice with Figaro, toss him out there and see if he can possibly come up a winner.

The back end of the rotation gets dicey these days, doesn’t it? All year, come to think of it.

Can we assume that if the Tigers go deep into the playoffs, the rotation gets tightened up some? Would the schedule so permit, or is the game pattern still TBA?

Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!

by ahtrap on Sep 30, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

brilliant ideas

We’ve got lots of guys…
Jair Jurrjens
Andrew Miller
Luke French

Oh… never mind

by Mark L on Sep 30, 2009 5:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

if we had miller, no miggy.

by rook34 on Sep 30, 2009 5:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Andrew Miller kinda bites too

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Sep 30, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you know what I really miss about Luke French

that 5.21 ERA of his. boy that would look good. Compared to the 6.63 ERA he has with the Mariners.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by MackAveKurt on Sep 30, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And as rock n rye has pointed out, don’t you think Jurrjens would’ve been part of any Cabrera deal, too?

Are we going to be hearing about this 20 years from now, like we have with John Smoltz?

Bless You Boys

by Ian Casselberry on Sep 30, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it would have been cool to have Jurrjens

But that is because I like him. I’m not going to spend the rest of his career wishing that he hadn’t been traded – after all, if it wasn’t him, it would have been someone else. I hope he continues to play well for whatever team he is on (with a few exceptions, of course). :)

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 30, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

heh

I just like that I generated so much response and emotion

by Mark L on Oct 1, 2009 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OMG

this has me freaking out….pennat race coming down to the very last weekend…maybe and we are starting albert figa something….ok well date night with my wife to celebrate are annvsary…so DVR-ing TIgers game and watching it after are dinner and a movie…will be chking bless you boys about 1am…go tigers!!!!!

by PBURGTIGER on Sep 30, 2009 5:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

congrats on your anniversary!

Have a nice dinner out and don’t worry about the Tigers for once. :)

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 30, 2009 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

aNYBODY

Ever realize that pretty much the entire coaching staff is Either a Former Manager from Pittsburgh or a player…. save for Rick Knapp the pitching coach?~

by Justin Osborn on Sep 30, 2009 9:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs