With Turnbull on IL, Tigers weighing options for starting rotation

Just as the Tigers are hoping to get right-hander Jose Urena back Sunday after he missed one start because of a forearm cramp, they shed another right-handed starter -- Spencer Turnbull -- who went to the injured list Saturday with a ideal forearm tightness.

With Turnbull on IL, Tigers weighing options for starting rotation

"We've got an off-day forward (on Monday) and I do not make a lot of declarations prior to an off-day," manager A.J. Hinch stated before the game Saturday. "We get a chance to recollect ourselves, get home and see where that takes us."

Turnbull told Hinch Friday night that he felt that the discomfort during a 12-pitch at-bat against Yermin Mercedes. Turnbull ended up hitting out him to end the fourth, but he had been pulled out of the game at that point.

"He has already seen the group physicians in Chicago and we'll run tests today," Hinch said. "Then our people will appraise him further when we get home"

In the brief term, the Tigers recalled reliever Bryan Garcia, which gave them 10 relievers for the rest of the White Sox series. The Tigers might need to make another roster move Sunday to activate Urena.

With the off-day Monday, the Tigers could go a full rotation turn without adding another starter. After that, though, they would have to bring a starter when Turnbull was not ready to return after 10 days.

Among the options at Triple-A Toledo are two non-roster pitchers -- veteran Wily Peralta, that has been coping with a finger injury, and Logan Shore, who is coming off a six-inning scoreless outing on Wednesday.

"We're likely to get more info about Turnbull and others which are dealing with stuff in Triple-A," Hinch said. "We will have a plan moving forward. We do not have to rush anything right now."

Clean slate for Garcia
Bryan Garcia, who ended last season as the Tigers' closer, was optioned to Toledo five days back after he'd allowed 11 earned runs and 14 walks in 18.2 innings.

"It is just about having confidence in myself and throw exactly the way I feel as I can pitch," he explained. "It has always been around. It's just having that confidence. So going down there was almost like hitting the reset button in a sense. Just go concentrate on getting better. Clean slate. Let's just go figure this out."

Garcia stated his mechanical issues were a product of him losing confidence and thinking too much on the mound instead of expecting the things that made him effective at every level of the game.

"Just quit thinking a great deal," he said. "Just go out there and pitch and then let your muscle memory only kind of take over."

"I didn't do anything this year, in my personal opinion, to deserve to be here," he explained. "When they shipped me I wasn't upset. If anything, I was angry at myself. I was happy to get that reset.

"I didn't expect to be up here this early. It sucks that Turnbull went . But I am glad to be back and hopefully I can take advantage of the opportunity."