UPDATE: Not only is Delmon Young not playing tonight, but the Tigers have ruled him out for the entire series.
According to Dave Hogg of FOXSportsDetroit.com, Young has been left off the ALCS roster due to his recent oblique injury. Danny Worth will replace him on the roster while Ryan Raburn should get most of the starts in left field.
12:32 PM: Delmon Young exited Game 5 of the ALDS on Thursday with a mild strain of his left oblique. While Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported yesterday that the Tigers thought he would be OK for the ALCS against the Rangers, Young wasn’t nearly as optimistic following a workout yesterday in Arlington, Texas.
Tom Gage of the Detroit News reports that Young is still dealing with soreness, casting his availability for Game 1 in serious doubt.
Young emerged as an unlikely hero for the Tigers during the ALDS, going 6-for-19 with three home runs. If he is unable to go, the Tigers would likely use Ryan Raburn in left field against southpaw C.J. Wilson. As I mentioned during our ALCS preview this morning, Raburn has an .847 career OPS against left-handed pitching, including an .807 OPS this season.
