Delmon Young was removed from Detroit’s playoff roster after straining his oblique muscle in Game 5 of the ALDS, but Magglio Ordonez’s fractured ankle and a lack of other outfield options has convinced the Tigers to re-add him to the ALCS roster.
Young missed nearly a month with an oblique strain earlier this season and every indication was that he’d be iffy for the World Series if the Tigers advanced that far, so his availability seems likely to be limited at best.
Young had a big impact in the ALDS, homering three times in five games, but the Tigers opting for a banged-up guy who hit .268 with a .695 OPS this season shows how little faith they had in other outfield options with Ordonez and Brennan Boesch both out of the picture. Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly finished Game 1 in the outfield corners.
UPDATE: So much for limited availability. Young is starting in left field and batting third in Game 2.
