CHICAGO -- Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field might not be Blaine Hardy's swan song as a starting pitcher after all.

The Detroit Tigers are considering a six-man rotation that would include Hardy when Francisco Liriano returns from the disabled list.

Liriano is making a rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Toledo. Barring a setback, he's expected to be activated within the next week.

Liriano's return was expected to push Hardy back into the bullpen, which has been without a left-hander since Daniel Stumpf went on the disabled list.

But now the Tigers are reconsidering.

"He's not necessarily going to the bullpen," Gardenhire said. "We're working on a lot of things. You've got to remember the time of the year. It's the middle part of the season.

"We've got some guys in there that could probably use extra days, take innings off our load. We started thinking we could probably do this. Not saying we're going to, but we could. Now you guys just get to wait and see what we do."

The rest of the rotation includes Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Mike Fiers and Jordan Zimmermann, who returned Saturday after six weeks on the disabled list.

"We're kicking around because we have a little luxury here. It isn't a bad thing to give guys a little bit of extra days (of rest). It's really not," Gardenhire said. (Hardy) is throwing the ball really well. Why take a guy out if he's throwing really well?"

In six starts since joining the rotation, Hardy has a 3.67 ERA with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 34 innings. He's gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts.

Hardy was designated for assignment by the Tigers at the end of spring training and was outrighted to the minor leagues after no other teams claimed him on waivers.

Gardenhire joked that it proves "we've just got a lot of really dumb executives in baseball."

Hardy pitched well in Triple-A Toledo, prompting the Tigers to repurchase his contract on May 4.

"It's a great story. That's why baseball's so great. You just never know," Gardenhire said. "He was getting them out at the other level, and everybody said, 'Well, he's a great Triple-A pitcher.' Now he's been given an opportunity here and he's been really good.

"That's how good books are written. There's nothing fake about it. This is real. He's done it long enough up here that he proves he belongs. He's proven he can pitch in this rotation."