Anthony Fenech

Detroit Free Press

Nick Castellanos tried to convince Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus that he’s ready to return to the lineup.

But Castellanos is going to have to play in at least two Instructional League games in Lakeland, Fla., on Monday and Wednesday, before the Tigers consider bringing him back to Detroit.

“I talked to Nick today,” Ausmus said after today's 7-4 loss to the Royals. He felt like he had a really good day today. ... He wanted to fly back tomorrow, and what I told him is, ‘Nick, I can’t put you in a game if you haven’t played a game.’”

Ausmus said he wants to make sure Castellanos feels good Sunday and then have him play in the games on Monday and Wednesday. There’s no Instructional League game to play in Tuesday.

“If everything goes well, then we’ll bring him back,” Ausmus said. “He’s been out six weeks.”

Ausmus said if he put Castellanos in without playing him in a game first, it would be like putting a player in the Opening Day lineup who didn’t appear in a spring training game first.

“We’re just not going to do that,” Ausmus said. “It’s unfair to the player. It’s unfair to other players on this team.”

Ausmus had initially deemed it a slow progress for Castellanos in his recovery from a broken hand.

Facing Tigers’ minor league pitchers in Tiger Town, Castellanos hit a 400-foot home run and indicated he is close to being ready to return.

Since Castellanos was hit by a pitch on his left hand on Aug. 6, Tigers third basemen have hit .259 with no home runs and 13 RBIs in 43 games. He suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on the hit-by-pitch against the Mets.

To that point, Castellanos was having a breakout season, hitting .286 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. His addition would give the Tigers another potent bat in the lineup at a time when they are firing on all cylinders offensively.

His return this regular season seemed less likely by the day, Ausmus said last week in Minneapolis, and word was that Castellanos was still feeling sore from facing live pitching, but apparently things have taken a turn for the better.

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Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.