Jordan

Tata

Tata, who spent first month of the season mopping up for the Tigers, is 6-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 11 starts for Toledo. He’ll return to Detroit later this season, but he’s better off starting games at Toledo right now.

Tata had been out since March with a sore shoulder. He might have been the choice to act as the Tigers’ fifth starter while Kenny Rogers was hurt if not for his injury.

Rogers is eligible to return from the disabled list Friday and had been penciled in to face the A’s, but that’s now been ruled out. “It looks like it might be more than one start,” manager Jim Leyland said. With Rogers and Andrew Miller both sidelined, Chad Durbin and Jordan Tata will remain in the rotation for now.

Tata beat Oakland in his season debut on July 30, but his stuff didn’t hold up while facing them for a second time. He might be better utilized as a middle reliever than as a starter. The Tigers could send him down after Andrew Miller or Kenny Rogers returns.

Tata had a couple of solid starts in place of Kenny Rogers before getting blasted by the A’s on Friday, leaving him with a 7.11 ERA. The Tigers will probably call up Virgil Vasquez to start Wednesday and then go back to Andrew Miller after that.

Tata will get the start Monday in place of the injured Kenny Rogers. The Tigers hope Rogers will miss the minimum, so Tata shouldn’t be picked up in AL-only leagues. It’s possible he could be sent down and replaced by Virgil Vasquez next time through.

The Tigers could have gone back to Virgil Vasquez this weekend had Tata struggled tonight, but now it looks like Tata will stick in the rotation until Kenny Rogers returns. He shouldn’t be worth using in AL-only leagues.

Tata, who was also dealing with a sore shoulder before punching a door and breaking his fifth metacarpal, should be able to resume pitching in the minors in late April or early May.

There was no question about the last three. Rodney, though, was still hoping to be a part of the Opening Day roster before another discouraging bullpen session today. “We still haven’t broken through,” pitching coach Chuck Hernandez said, “and we’re going to re-assess where we’re at.” Barring a late acquisition, it looks like the Tigers will go with a pen of Todd Jones, Yorman Bazardo, Zach Miner, Denny Bautista, Jason Grilli, Bobby Seay and Tim Byrdak.