Phil Coke Heading Back To Detroit For Exam on Sore Elbow, Bruce Rondon Cleared to Pitch

Sep 17, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Phil Coke (40) pitches in the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Coke was going to try to pitch tonight after sitting for a few days with tightness in his elbow, but he reportedly felt some discomfort after a bullpen session yesterday and is instead heading back to Detroit for further evaluation.

Coke was already on the bubble for playoff roster inclusion due to his poor performance, but he’s very quickly running out of time to get back into the mix. I highly doubt that he would be able to pitch before Firday’s series opener in Miami, but if he’s not able to throw a bullpen without tightness, it’s probably unlikely that he’ll be able to prove his health and effectiveness to manager Jim Leyland before he has to make a final decision on the roster.

Leyland will, in all likelihood, want another left handed reliver in the bullpen, so attention will now (seemingly) fully shift onto Jose Alvarez and Darin Downs for the final spot in the bullpen.

In other pitcher injury news, Bruce Rondon (who had been battling his own tender elbow) has been fully cleared to pitch in tonight’s game. That’s good news for the Tigers, who will be counting on him as a late-inning strikeout arm in the playoffs.