The Detroit Tigers were blown out by the Oakland Athletics in Wednesday’s 12-3 loss, but center fielder Riley Greene picked up five hits in five plate appearances Wednesday in the second game of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo.
The 22-year-old served as the Mud Hens’ designated hitter.
Greene, who suffered a stress reaction in his left fibula at the end of May, could return to the Tigers on Saturday and play two games before the All-Star break. He hit .296 with five home runs and an .805 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 52 games before injury.
“He’s not going to be activated tomorrow (Friday),” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday morning. “We’re still holding out hope over the weekend that he can contribute in some way.”
Before joining the Tigers, Greene will play in the outfield Thursday for Toledo, but he might not play all nine innings. Not playing the full game, though, won’t deter the Tigers from activating him from the injured list Saturday vs. Toronto if he’s healthy.
TRENDING: Eduardo Rodriguez’s return to Detroit Tigers feels like a train to nowhere
The Tigers have a 12-20 record and .230 batting average in Greene’s absence.
“That is a big step,” Hinch said. “It’s no surprise he said he felt great after last night. I’ve never had a hitter not feel great after five hits. The encouraging part is he was on base quite a bit. He slid into second base on a ball that went to center field, which doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is a test for him. He had to go on a single, break for second and slide in safe.”
Greene on Wednesday had four singles and a double. Three hits were against 22-year-old right-hander Connor Phillips, the No. 9 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization.
Greene had a single in the first inning (108.4 mph exit velocity), a single in the third (93.3 mph exit velocity), a double in the fifth (102.1 mph exit velocity), a single in the sixth (104.2 mph exit velocity) and a single in the eighth (111 mph exit velocity).
PLAYOFF PUSH? Miguel Cabrera will ‘feel better when (Riley) Greene comes back’ to Tigers
Baddoo is back
Outfielder Akil Baddoo, another left-handed hitter, will be activated from the injured list for Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays, returning from a right quad strain suffered in the second week of June.
The 24-year-old is expected to be in the starting lineup, facing right-hander Alek Manoah, after completing four games for Toledo in his rehab assignment where he went 2-for-12 (.167) with two walks and five strikeouts.
“He feels good,” Hinch said. “There are just some things you can’t test. He still has yet to open up and fly from first (base) to third (base) or second (base) to home (plate). The games that he’s played haven’t given him those situations. You can’t promise them that kind of action, but we’re anticipating activating him tomorrow (Friday).”
Before the quad injury, Baddoo hit .231 with three home runs, 24 walks and 34 strikeouts in 50 games with the Tigers. But he struggled through seven games in June, hitting .048 (1-for-21) with four walks and six strikeouts.
“The ramp that we’ve had got him to the point,” Hinch said. “He feels good about it, and I feel good about, so he should be in the lineup tomorrow (Friday).”
Friday’s starter
Right-hander Alex Faedo (right middle finger discomfort) will be activated from the injured list Friday and start against the Blue Jays. The 27-year-old completed 3⅓ innings Sunday in his first rehab assignment with Toledo.
His fingernail isn’t giving him any issues anymore.
“I should be able, if everything goes good, to get five (innings),” Faedo said.
BIG RETURN: Tarik Skubal shows why he can be ‘one of the best pitchers’
Faedo on Sunday allowed four runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts, throwing 40 of 57 pitches for strikes. He threw 29 fastballs, 17 sliders and 11 changeups.
His fastball averaged 92.9 mph, and his slider generated seven of his 10 whiffs.
“I thought my stuff was pretty good,” Faedo said. “It was one of those games where my (final) line was way different than how I thought I threw the baseball. I gave up one ball that went over 95 (mph exit velocity) but gave up four earned runs. It’s a little weird, but overall, it’s a rehab outing and you’re supposed to get your work in.”
Hinch said Faedo will be somewhat limited in Friday’s start. At that point, the Tigers will have six starting pitchers on the roster: Faedo, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal, Michael Lorenzen, Matt Manning and Reese Olson.
After the All-Star break, the Tigers will be creative in the way they use those six starting pitchers, as well as their relievers, to navigate games. Tandem starts, like Skubal and Olson on Tuesday against the Athletics, appears to be one of many options.
“There are a lot of different ways we can attack it,” Hinch said. “We have 17 straight games to start the second half, so it’s going to beg the question on how to get through that stretch with different decisions. We’ll see once we get to the break.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.