George Sipple

Detroit Free Press

BOSTON – J.D. Martinez is heading to Triple-A Toledo for a rehab assignment and said he’ll be the designated hitter in his first game tonight in Durham, N.C.

Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Martinez will be the DH for his first two games with the Mud Hens, who have a day off Thursday. It’s possible Martinez could play in the outfield when the Mud Hens return to Toledo on Friday to face Gwinnett.

Martinez has been on the disabled list since June 17 with a non-displaced fracture of the radial neck at the right elbow.

He said going out to join the Triple-A team right now is more about getting up to speed hitting than it is to play in the outfield. Martinez is going to have to tolerate some pain, but is antsy to return to the Tigers because they are not out of the playoff race.

“My bat worries me more than my throwing,” Martinez said after the Tigers’ 4-2 win over the Red Sox on Monday night at Fenway Park. “Timing-wise and arm-wise. I feel it puts more stress on my elbow hitting than it does throwing.”

Martinez said he’s comfortable throwing from 150 feet and can hit cutoff man.

“And I can hit ’em hard, not just lobbing in there,” Martinez said.

He added that his elbow probably would “bark” at him a bit if he did try to make a throw home at this point.

Martinez, 28, was hitting .286 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs in 65 games before going on the disabled list.

He admitted that he will have to deal with some level of pain for the rest of the season.

He also said the batting practice he has taken hasn’t felt good.

“My swing is brutal, but that’s what happens,” he said, adding it feels like he’s back in spring training. “You’re around the game but the timing is different. I just know in the off-season I’ll take a month off, like six weeks off and then start hitting. Everything feels kind of foreign. Right now, it’s just getting the timing back. That’s going to be the hardest thing I feel like.”

Martinez acknowledged he might take a different approach if the Tigers were out of the playoff race at this point.

“I just feel that it makes our lineup that much stronger,” he said of coming back. “It extends it that much more. And it’s different threat in the lineup when you’re hitting. Whether you’re 100% or not, it’s like Miggy.”

Miguel Cabrera has played hurt for the Tigers in the past.

“He knows that him being in the lineup is still going to influence the game somehow,” Martinez said.

Martinez said general manager Al Avila has stressed to him not to rush a return.

“I want to because I know the difference it makes in the team,” Martinez said. “I’m not going to rush it, I’m not going to hurt it. But I’m just going to continue to push it.”

Note: The Tigers also made it official that left-hander Daniel Norris (right oblique strain) would make a rehab start at Double-A Erie on Thursday. He’s going to Double-A because of Toledo’s day off. And right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (right neck strain) will make a rehab start for the Mud Hens on Friday.

Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple. Download our Tigers Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!