Injury updates: Tigers' walking wounded list is lengthy

With the Tigers having a scheduled day off, this might be a good time to go over the list of injuries and update the status of the many players who have missed time due to injury. Here is a list of the Tigers that have been placed on the disabled list this season and their current status:

Austin Jackson: Jackson finally returned to action on Saturday, after being on the disabled list with an abdominal strain since May 17. The Tigers' hottest hitter at the time he was injured is back in his normal spot atop the Tiger lineup, where he hit a home run and a two-run double against the Reds.

Victor Martinez: After injuring his left knee doing light workouts in Lakeland, Martinez had microfracture surgery in mid-January. It was thought that Martinez could miss the entire season, but there is now hope that he may be back in September. Victor is scheduled to have another MRI on June 28, which will determine his rehab schedule activities.

Doug Fister: The Tigers had hoped that their number two starting pitcher would return from the disabled list as soon as next Wednesday, but that idea has been nixed after he felt soreness on Sunday, following a workout on Saturday. Fister was removed from his first start in April with a costochondral strain in his abdomen, and aggravated the same injury in May after making four quality starts in five outings. He should return before long, barring any further setbacks. In his absence, the Tigers have had to use two rookies in their starting rotation.

Andy Dirks: The Tigers' No. 2 hitter and their second hottest bat at the time of his injury has been out of action with an achilles strain, last playing on May 30. He is eligible to return later this week but there is no official word yet whether he will be ready by that time. The Detroit Free Press reported that Jim Leyland is hopeful Dirks can begin a rehab assignment before the team finishes it's current six game road trip.

Al Alburquerque: Alburquerque is expected back some time around the All-Star game in July after having surgery to repair a stress fracture on his pitching elbow. Alburquerque has been place on the 60 day disabled list. He has stretched out his long-tossing to 150 feet and, according to Tigers head trainer Kevin Rand, will soon begin throwing off a mound, as reported by Jason Beck of MLB.com.

ESPN'S Buster Olney quoted Dave Dombrowski via twitter:

Talked to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski before the game, and he is fully confident Al Alburquerque will be back to help bullpen this summer.

Alex Avila: Just as the Tigers' All Star catcher was starting to heat up at the plate, Avila was placed on the 15 day disabled list on June 6 with a strained hamstring in his right leg. Alex missed a couple of games before attempting a comeback, but was removed in the sixth inning of the game on June 5th. He is eligible to return June 21st at the earliest.

Luis Marte: After making the roster out of spring training, Marte was injured in his last appearance before the season started, and was placed on the disabled list. Marte was activated on May 25th after missing almost the first two months of the season and has been mostly effective in a middle relief role since his return.

Dan Schlereth: The Tigers had announced that they optioned Schlereth to triple A Toledo, when he reported that he had been pitching hurt. The club then retracted the option and placed Schlereth on the 15 day disabled list retroactive to April 21, where he will receive a major league salary. He has since been transferred to the 60 day disabled list, so that he does not take up a valuable spot on the 40 man roster. Dan was diagnosed with left shoulder tendonitis, although an MRI revealed no structural damage.

Brandon Inge also spent time on the disabled list at the start of the season.

There are several other Tiger players who recently have been hampered and missed action due to injuries, but have not (yet) been placed on the disabled list. Following is their status:

Octavio Dotel: The Tigers signed Dotel to share set up duties with Phil Coke, and he was cruising along as an effective ROOGY, but has been unavailable since June 2nd due to inflammation in his right elbow. A trip to the disabled list is possible if his condition does not improve soon. Dotel spoke with Mlive's Chris Iott:

Dotel said he received treatment in the days following his appearance against the Yankees, then threw on the side a bit Wednesday. But his elbow still wasn't right.

"We're doing everything we need to do to get it straight," Dotel said. "We're just going to see in the next couple days how the inflammation goes."

Drew Smyly: Smyly has been bothered over his past few starts by a nasty blister on the middle finger of his left hand. Jim Leyland said that the blister was bothering him before he gave up a home run Sunday night in Cincinnati. He was removed from the game after just three innings, and is listed as day to day. Whether he misses any starts will impact the schedules of the other pitchers in the rotation. Leyland said of the blister:

"It's the worst one I've ever seen in my life," Leyland said. "It was huge. I've never seen a blood blister that big."

"I couldn't believe it," Leyland said. "He came up and said, 'I can't go anymore.' I said, 'What?' I looked and it and I said, 'Oh, my God.' I've never seen anything like it. … It's the biggest blister I've ever seen."

Brennan Boesch: After a very slow start to the season, Boesch was just finding his groove when he "tweaked" his ankle sliding into home with the eventual winning run on Saturday in Cincinnati. He was removed from that game and didn't start on Sunday, unable to play the outfield. He came off the bench and got a key pinch hit single off Aroldis Chapman. He hopes to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Gerald Laird: G Money sat out a couple of games last week with a strained hamstring, at the same time that Avila initially hurt his hamstring, but he has returned to action and is getting most of the starts in Avila's absence.

Between Fister's uncertain return, Smyly's nasty blister, and a few scheduled Monday's off, the Tiger rotation is in a state of flux.

The Tigers' starting lineup on Sunday included Quintin Berry, Gerald Laird, Ramon Santiago, Danny Worth, and Drew Smyly, with Matt Young and Hernan Perez coming off the bench. Not exactly what was advertised at the start of the season.

Jim Leyland is not one to use injuries as an excuse for the team's poor performance in the standings, but any plans that the Tigers have of making a run at defending their division title will begin by getting their players healthy.

Transaction notes: The Tigers reinstated Jhonny Peralta from paternity leave after his wife gave birth to twins, and optioned Hernan Perez back to Lakeland. On Friday, the Tigers announced that Omir Santos had refused an outright assignment to Toledo and has opted to become a free agent.