clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Guillen ailing, DL next? Answer: yes

Updated 4:35, quoting MLB.com beat writer Jason Beck's tweet:

Carlos Guillen to DL with right shoulder inflammation. Larish, Clete Thomas up. Rapada sent down.

MLB.com's Jason Beck reported last night that Carlos Guillen is not just battling a sore right Achilles tendon in his ankle, he's also got an aching left shoulder to go with it. He has obviously not been himself this season -- whatever "himself" is any more. He's batting .200 with a .244 SLG, while getting on base just 26.7 percent of the time. In left field, he looks hideous. (But how hideous does Ryan Raburn look that Jim Leyland is playing Guillen out there?)

Beck reports Guillen said he will be examined "soon." But soon enough? And Leyland will try to get him some rest. But can he? The Tigers are already riding a short bench. And on this bench is Raburn, backup catcher Dane Sardinha, as well as everyone's favorite backup quarterback Tigers hero Ramon Santiago.

Beck:

If Guillen did need to rest more than a few games, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Tigers in a roster squeeze, possibly forced to either put Guillen on the disabled list for roster flexibility or to go to seven relievers and call up another position player. It would give the Tigers the extra bat, but it would also allow them to bring up another bat from Triple-A Toledo to plug into the lineup that might give a spark.

And right now, that looks like the best solution to me. With Guillen aching and not producing, how does it help the team to keep him in Detroit, unless you think that little of the alternativve in Toledo? I assume OF Clete Thomas would be first in line for the callup, but OF Wilkin Ramirez has been doing pretty well, too.