According to the News, Fernando Rodney was unavailable for last night's game against Toronto:
When Friday night's game turned into a save situation, Trammell would have liked to turn to closer Fernando Rodney. Unfortunately, Rodney wasn't available due to elbow tightness, so Trammell went with Craig Dingman, who got his third save. Rodney missed the entire 2004 season after having ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery. Because of that, the Tigers are being very careful with him. He gets more time to warm up. "He assures us he's going to be fine for tomorrow," Trammell said, although he admitted he was a little concerned "because we had a day off (Thursday)."
The Tigers are probably right to be concerned. Soreness in a surgically-repaired joint is nothing to sniff at. Apparently Craig Dingman is next in line, and if Rodney is out for any significant length of time, Dingman would be the fifth Tiger crowned closer this year, after Percival, Urbina, Farnsworth, and Rodney. It's probably a reasonable decision with Franklyn German's BB/K sitting at 24/25, though Chris Spurling will also get looks.
I hope they give Rodney -- not to mention Carlos Guillen -- the rest he needs. Rosters expand in a couple of weeks, and we should have enough arms up to have a different closer every day if we feel like it.
I wonder who we would have figured for the treasured role of fifth Tigers closer at the beginning of the season? Not Dingman, for sure.