With Turnbull on IL, Tigers weighing options for starting rotation

Chicago – Well, now what?

Just as the Tigers are expecting to get right-hander Jose Urena back Sunday after he missed one start because of a forearm cramp, they lose another right-handed starter – Spencer Turnbull – who went on the injured list Saturday with a right forearm tightness.

“We have an off-day ahead (on Monday) and I don’t make a lot of declarations before an off-day,” manager A.J. Hinch said before the game Saturday. “We get a chance to recollect ourselves, get home and see where that takes us.”

Turnbull told Hinch Friday night that he felt the discomfort during a 12-pitch at-bat against Yermin Mercedes. Turnbull ended up striking him out to end the fourth, but he was pulled out of the game at that point.

“He’s already seen the team doctors in Chicago and we’ll run tests today,” Hinch said. “Then our people will evaluate him further when we get home.”

In the short term, the Tigers recalled reliever Bryan Garcia, which gave them 10 relievers for the rest of the White Sox series. The Tigers will have to make another roster move Sunday to activate Urena.

With the off-day Monday, the Tigers could conceivably go a full rotation turn without adding another starter. After that, though, they would have to add a starter if Turnbull wasn’t ready to return after 10 days.

Among the options at Triple-A Toledo are two non-roster pitchers – veteran Wily Peralta, who has been dealing with a finger injury, and Logan Shore, who is coming off a six-inning scoreless outing on Wednesday.

“We’re going to have more information about Turnbull and others that are dealing with stuff in Triple-A,” Hinch said. “We will have a plan moving forward. We don’t need to rush anything right now.”

Clean slate for Garcia

Bryan Garcia, who ended last season as the Tigers’ closer, was optioned to Toledo five days ago after he’d allowed 11 earned runs and 14 walks in 18.2 innings.  

“It’s just about having confidence in myself and pitch the way I feel like I can pitch,” he said. “It’s always been there. It’s just having that confidence. So going down there was almost like hitting the reset button in a sense. Just go focus on getting better. Clean slate. Let’s just go figure this out.”

Garcia said his mechanical issues were a product of him losing confidence and thinking too much on the mound instead of trusting the things that made him successful at every level of the game.

“Just stop thinking so much,” he said. “Just go out there and pitch and let your muscle memory just kind of take over.”

Garcia made one appearance at Toledo, a scoreless and walk-less 1.1 innings, before getting the call Saturday night.

“I didn’t do anything this season, in my personal opinion, to deserve to still be up here,” he said. “When they sent me down, I wasn’t upset. If anything, I was upset at myself. I was glad to get that reset. It was kind of a breath of fresh air.

“I didn’t expect to be back up here this early. It sucks that Turnbull went down. But I’m glad to be back and hopefully I can take advantage of the opportunity.”

Around the horn

… With an 0-for-5 night Friday, Jeimer Candelario’s career-best 29-game on-base streak ended. It was the longest active streak in the big leagues.

... The White Sox altered their pitching plan for Sunday. They will start right-hander Dylan Cease instead of lefty Carlos Rodon. Cease through a complete game (seven-inning) three-hit shutout against the Tigers on April 29.

… The Tigers' Willi Castro had three hits on Friday night. Over his last six, before Saturday, he was 9 for 15 with just one strikeout in his last 21 plate appearances. He’s raised his average from .193 to .231.

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