Chris McCosky

The Detroit News

Detroit – Two of the Tigers’ “trade deadline acquisitions” are about ready to join the club and contribute.

Manager Brad Ausmus said before the game Tuesday that right-handed starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who has been on the disabled list since July 4, will start against the White Sox Thursday afternoon.

Then after the game, Ausmus announced that right-fielder J.D. Martinez, on the DL since June 16, would be activated and be available to play Wednesday.



To make room for him on the 25-man roster, right-handed start Mike Pelfrey was put on the 15-day disabled list with lower back strain.

General manager Al Avila made a point of saying the Tigers’ deadline moves would be the return of those two players from the DL, as well as left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris.

“You look at it, we are adding two arms and a bat that really I’d put up against anybody on the trade market,” catcher James McCann said. “And we didn’t give up any pieces to get them back. To me, that’s a winning trade deadline for us.”

Norris was activated from the DL Tuesday and sent back to Triple-A Toledo. Most likely, the Tigers will option right-handed reliever Dustin Molleken back to Toledo before Zimmermann is activated Thursday.

Another option would be to keep Molleken and option outfielder Tyler Collins to Toledo. That decision is expected after the game Wednesday

Tigers sniff around but decide to stay the course

“Although we didn’t go out and make a move, we are getting a couple of new bodies back,” Ausmus said. “It’s good we’re getting people back, but all these guys have to play well. It’s not like you just get people back and it’s all roses. We’ve got to go out and play well and beat the other teams.”

Martinez played his seventh and eighth games of his rehab assignment at Toledo Tuesday. He’s played right field in two of those games, including the first of a doubleheader Tuesday. He was in the lineup as the DH in the nightcap.

He was hitting .303 (10-for-33) with three doubles and five RBIs prior to the nightcap Tuesday.

“He’s been fine from a health standpoint,” Ausmus said. “He’s been throwing on a daily basis. If all goes well, he could be here before the end of this series.”

Pelfrey going on the DL – his back tightened up on him again Tuesday – and Norris back in Toledo, the back end of the Tigers rotation is settled for now. Left-hander Matt Boyd and Anibal Sanchez, who posted his first win as a starter Tuesday since April 28, will be the fourth and fifth starters going forward.

“I think Boyd has pitched consistently enough recently to deserve another opportunity,” Ausmus said.

Fulmer starts Wednesday, Zimmermann Thursday and Justin Verlander opens the series against the Mets on Friday. Boyd will pitch Saturday and Sanchez again on Sunday.

Ausmus said Zimmermann was stretched out to about 90 pitches for the start Thursday. Verlander is scheduled to start the series opener against the Mets on Friday, but Ausmus has not set his starters for Saturday or Sunday. Presumably Boyd would start Saturday.

“We have who we have and we’re going to run them out there,” Ausmus said. “If they pitch well, we will keep them in the rotation. It’s as simple as that. It’s not rocket science.”

As for Norris, Ausmus said he just needs to pitch well and be ready.

“A lot of it is out of his control,” he said. “He needs to go down and pitch. He can’t worry about what’s happening in Detroit. He can’t control how the starters up here are pitching and he can’t control the health of those people.

“He needs to pitch well so if something does happen where there is a spot open in the rotation, he’s the guy we call.”

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