Jason

Karnuth

Coach Allan Trammell said he’ll consider calling up the reliever when the minor league playoffs end. Karnuth will see minimal time in middle relief if he does get the call.

Karnuth is back in the majors for the first time since 2001. He had a 2.13 ERA and 23 saves as Toledo’s closer.

Karnuth pitched just 1 2/3 innings after joining the Tigers on Sept. 16, allowing one run. He had a 2.13 ERA and 23 saves as Toledo’s closer, but no one seems to view the 29-year-old as a major leaguer.

Karnuth, who had a 2.13 ERA and 23 saves for Triple-A Toledo last season, already has a couple of saves for Hermosillo. Now a minor league free agent, he’ll try to find a team more willing to give him an opportunity than the Tigers were. Karnuth appeared in the majors for the first time since 2001, but he pitched just 1 2/3 innings after being called up in September.

Karnuth, a former Cardinals prospect who allowed one run in five innings for St. Louis in 2001, split last season between the Cubs’ Double- and Triple-A affiliates, ammassing a 3.74 ERA in 67 1/3 IP. He probably won’t receive much of an opportunity to make the Tigers.

Karnuth, 30, pitched briefly with the Tigers in 2005. He finished with a 4.29 ERA in 71 1/3 innings between Triple-A Sacramento and Toledo last season.

Karnuth, 29, was the closer for Triple-A Toledo last season and had a 2.13 ERA in 67 2/3 IP before joining the Tigers in September and allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings. He’d likely be a solid 11th or 12th reliever, but the A’s aren’t going to have room for him initially.