Inge Back, Worth Sent Down

Third baseman Brandon Inge (Mononucleosis) is done with his rehab and will be back with the Tigers on Friday.  Utility infielder Danny Worth has been optioned to Toledo to make room on the roster.  Inge will likely get the lion's share of the at bats at third base for the Tigers, but may not play every day if he's still ailing or if he doesn't hit.  He is batting a meager .211 with a .565 OPS. 

Inge's replacement Don Kelly hit better than Inge had been hitting prior to his stint on the disabled list. For the season, Kelly is hitting .264 with a .682 OPS.  Kelly has been just OK defensively, but Inge is also not the rangy defender he once was.  All this adds up to Kelly playing a couple days a week at third and maybe more if Inge continues to fail at the plate. 

Kelly could also see time at second base if Ryan Raburn keeps up his horrendous season-long slump.  Raburn is batting .204 with an alarming 74 strikeouts in 211 at bats. Unfortunately, the fact that Kelly is out-hitting two starters tells us more about the struggles of Inge and Raburn than it does about Kelly.