Tigers begin preparing for playoffs; Jacob Turner starting Thursday

by Kurt Mensching on Sep 20, 2011 6:55 PM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

Doug Fister will piggyback with Max Scherzer tomorrow.

With the playoffs set to open a week from Friday, the Tigers and manager Jim Leyland are beginning to get things in order.

The first major announcement from Leyland was a plan to go with 14 position players and 11 pitchers. No surprise there, I don't think.

The second announcement was a change to his rotation this week. Tomorrow, both Max Scherzer and Doug Fister will split the pitching duties. This allows Leyland to decide who will be the ALDS Game 2 starter without worrying about someone going on short rest. We still don't know where or against whom the Tigers will begin the postseason, but hopefully that will be cleared up (favorably) by early next week.

So with the change to the rotation, Thursday's starter will be Jacob Turner. That will make all the Turner fans happy, at least.

Justin Verlander is still scheduled for Saturday as he goes for 25 wins.

Finally, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck, we have notes on Victor Martinez and Carlos Guillen. Martinez will not catch again during the regular season. Beck believes Omir Santos' chances of making the postseason roster are better today than a week ago. Also, Carlos Guillen is feeling better but still sore. If Guillen cannot play between now and the end of the year, Leyland confirmed he will be left off the playoff roster.

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I had hopes CG would

be available to PH

by kirdo on Sep 20, 2011 6:59 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

by H2OPoloPunk on Sep 20, 2011 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Verlander

for 25!!!

11-11-11

Lets GO Wings!!!

by KGW on Sep 20, 2011 7:04 PM EDT reply actions

So they're going Spring Training style tomorrow?

I’m all for it if this means that Leyland is going to start Scherzer at home like we’ve been suggesting for the last two weeks.

Detroit4Lyfe

by Rob Rogacki on Sep 20, 2011 7:23 PM EDT reply actions

Slightly off topic, but it's been so long that I forget...

Do all the guys that have been called up that don’t make the postseason roster stay in the clubhouse/dugout throughout the playoffs?

Would be good for Turner and stuff.

by rcpratt on Sep 20, 2011 7:32 PM EDT reply actions

it's up to the manager

if I recall in 2006 a couple did but most didn’t

Bless You Boys.com

by Kurt Mensching on Sep 20, 2011 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I imagine it'll go something like this

by lesmanalim on Sep 20, 2011 9:57 PM EDT reply actions

I wish that Max face was shopped behind Fister pitching instead of the other way around.

by thepartybird on Sep 21, 2011 5:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm thinking we'd need the BYB After Dark logo

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

by momotigers on Sep 21, 2011 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm confused...

Aren’t both still scheduled for two more starts? Why not wait to do this the next time through to get the rest right? Will they split start again next week?

That rug really tied the room together.

by Motown514 on Sep 20, 2011 11:24 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

They have to split start now because what allows this to work is the off day we had on Monday.

Let’s recap: in the interest of preserving regular rest, whoever pitches Game 2 (Oct. 1) needs to pitch on Sept 26. But that pitcher also needs to go into that game on regular rest, meaning he has to pitch on September 21. So there’s no way Fister can pitch his scheduled start on the 22nd and also pitch Game 2 by folllowing a regular schedule. Instead, he moves up a day and splits with Scherzer on the 21st, which works because the Monday off gave the rotation an extra day of rest.

And if the playoff picture still isn’t clear on the 26th, I suppose it’s possible they could split again.

by lesmanalim on Sep 20, 2011 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Sounds like a good plan

I hope it works well.

by Keith-Allen on Sep 21, 2011 12:40 AM EDT reply actions

Go Fister GO!!!

So happy he gets to pitch for a winner. Consider this a consolation prize for the epic failure of Washburn. Pitchers keep pegging Wells over here but overall pretty happy with that excuse me HR swing he has. :)

by grips on Sep 21, 2011 1:12 AM EDT reply actions

I'm also confused

Please explain to me why Leyland is doing it this way. Why didn’t he have Scherzer pitch Tuesday (on normal rest) and Fister pitch Wednesday (on normal rest) and then again on Sunday and Monday. That way, either one could pitch game 2 (Saturday) on normal or slightly longer rest. Instead, we lose out on a Fister or Max start and instead get a rookie on 21 days rest. And if you want to pitch Turner, pitch him in place of Penny. Are we still trying to win games? It seems like this was not well thought out.

by Mark Osbourne on Sep 21, 2011 7:31 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs