Brad Thomas has been in a weird sort of baseball purgatory. He was placed on the disabled list with an elbow problem -- not a serious one -- in the middle of May. On June 14, he was added to Triple-A Toledo's roster to begin his rehab appearances. He compiled a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings there since. But he also reportedly felt some soreness and needed a break in the middle of the rehab. Yet despite struggles among Tigers left-handers, there just didn't seem to be any place in the major leagues for him.
Pitchers have up to 30 days for their minor league rehab, and you can tell by the date Thomas's time is up. So he was outrighted to the Mud Hens. That takes him off the 40-man roster. Thomas has until Sunday to decide whether to accept the assignment or leave the organization. Meanwhile the Tigers have a roster spot open for Carlos Guillen, who is expected to join the Tigers at some point this month.
You hate to say it, but I don't think any Tigers fans would be sad to see him go. By all reports, Thomas is a friendly individual and you hope the best for him. He just didn't work out well with the Tigers.