Alburquerque headed up I-75 to Detroit?

Approximately ten hours ago, Mark Anderson of TigsTown.com announced that the Detroit Tigers were calling up late inning reliever Al Alburquerque from the AAA-Toldeo Mud Hens.

"#Tigers are still deciding between two possible moves to make room for calling up Alburquerque tomorrow. Should know in AM."

In four scoreless innings of work this season, Alburquerque has struck out eight. He has allowed just four base-runners which is a solid improvement for Al. You gotta love small sample size data! Want more of it? Good, cuz’ I have some. This spring he struck out 13 in 7 1/3 innings. Awesome right?! Digging deeper, he posted a 6.14 ERA and allowed 16 base-runners (7BB). He has potential, I was impressed with his mid to upper 90s fastball. However, home plate has a tendency to dance around a bit and his roller-coaster appearances remind me way to much of Fernando Rodney.

I’m all up for trying to shake things up and catch lightning in a bottle. However, if Alburquerque is in, who the hell is out? Enrique Gonzalez hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire but he’s a decent mop-up man and he’s Venezuelan. I prefer my Tigers team stacked with as many Venezuelans as possible.

Brad Thomas comes to mind but that makes to much sense. He is the king of four pitch walks and seems to be all about allowing as many base-runners as possible. Leyland and Company love him enough to trot him out there when the game is on the line so I don’t see him getting the pink slip.

Magglio Ordonez has been sidelined with an injury to his ankle or to his Achilles tendon depending on who you talk to. Maggs was put on the shelf with an ankle issue last season and I watched that movie Troy a few times so I wonder if a DL stint is in his future. Damn, then perhaps two outfielders that are actually hitting (Brennan Boesch and Ryan Raburn) might get a few more at-bats. Hell, that might even allow Casper Wells to get a few at-bats too.

The move should be announced sometime this morning. Just a hunch, but I am guessing that Maggs is set to hit the 15 day DL.

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