Tiger Geist

Clete down, Maggs back in… Joyce and Larish stay up.  Larish will probably be sent down when Bonine (or another starter) is recalled.  Joyce got a couple of starts last week over Thomas, so this isn’t too big of a surprise.  What is surprising is the power Joyce has shown, and the lack of power Thomas seems to have.

I wonder if this is also a move that may mean some DH duty for Joyce?  Detroit now lacks a true backup center fielder (Raburn is the most logical choice, Inge could continue spot duty).  Unless more moves are upcoming, maybe Detroit feels that Granderson is going to play 60 of the next 68 games.  Or at most of the games from now until September, when the rosters expand and (most likely) Thomas and maybe Clevlen are recalled.

Granderson is a potential all-star who has been hot and cold all year.  I’m not quite sure how Raburn fits in at center; he’s only played there for 22 innings this year, while playing 63 innings there last year.  Though at this point, with the long-ish layoff and rosters expanding in about seven weeks, maybe its time to let the boys play.

Back to Joyce.. does this mean less playing time for Sheffield?  I imagine Joyce could use more at-bats, as he seems to have hit himself into consideration for playing time next year.  Wouldn’t Toledo be a better place to get those at-bats?  Based on previous years’ output, Thames will probably see a slightly reduced workload over the next few months, as Leyland will do his best to keep Thames fresh.  But in a part time role, with the lack of a true backup center fielder (see above), Clete Thomas would have been the better choice to ‘ride the pine’.  Maybe Leyland thinks he can get enough at-bats for Joyce between the corner outfield positions and DH to make it worthwhile.