Andy

Dirks

Dirks tweaked his left hamstring while rounding third base on Tuesday and is currently considered day-to-day. Barring any setbacks, he should be back in action at some point this weekend.

Dirks, getting the start in left field in place of Delmon Young, finished the game 1-for-4. He also made several nice defensive plays to support Drew Smyly in the game. He’s off to a strong start to the season, hitting .290 (9-for-31) with five RBI. When he’s receiving consistent playing time, he can be a valuable asset as a fourth or fifth outfielder in deeper mixed leagues.

Dirks hasn’t played since April 17, so the disabled list will have to become a possibility if he doesn’t improve in a hurry. He is batting .304/.333/.435 in his first 23 at-bats this season.

“Dirks is ready to go,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Wednesday night. “He’ll probably play tomorrow.” The 26-year-old is batting .304/.333/.435 with two RBI through his first 23 at-bats this season.

“It’s a tough situation to manage right now,” Leyland said. “I gave him the night off (Wednesday in Seattle) and he bounced back real good. But he’s not running full speed. I’m a little concerned about it.” Leyland doesn’t want to risk losing Dirk’s presence at the top of the lineup, but acknowledged that he’ll look to limit him late in games when the Tigers have the lead. For now, continue to view him as day-to-day.

Dirks found out before the game that he wouldn’t be in Detroit’s Opening Day lineup, but since they’re facing a left-hander, that was expected. He should start at DH or in the outfield versus most right-handers.

Dirks sat out Wednesday’s game with a sore left hamstring, which has been a lingering issue for him this season. The 26-year-old currently has a streak of four straight multi-hit games.

Dirks, who missed Wednesday’s game with a sore hamstring, came out for a pinch-runner in this one, though it didn’t appear as though he aggravated anything. He’s now hitting .383 for the season.

Dirks hasn’t played since tweaking his hamstring during Tuesday’s game. It’s not clear if he’ll be available Friday night, but it’s certainly a good sign that he was able to take BP.

Dirks has collected two hits in four games in a row, raising his average to .339. He’s turning into a fixture against right-handers for the Tigers.