Detroit Tigers Links: Tigers not most balanced, Andy Dirks starts rehab, Tigers/Dodgers WS preview?

Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers’ Andy Dirks to begin rehab assignment today at Single-A Lakeland – Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press

Andy Dirks’ return to the Detroit Tigers might not be far too far off.

The lefty outfielder, who’s been out all season recovering from lower back surgery in March, is slated to begin a rehab assignment today at Single-A Lakeland, the Tigers announced today.

While no one would argue that Andy Dirks is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder, the Tigers and their fans sure have grown an appreciation of his talents in his absence. Of course, when Dirks is activated, someone will have to go, and depending on who you ask, any of the current rotating outfielders(save for Austin Jackson) could be on the chopping block. While many clamor for Torii Hunter to be sent down, the most likely candidate is Don Kelly. 

Dodgers-Tigers: World Series preview? – David Schoenfield, ESPN.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers play an intriguing two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday in Detroit, with Hyun-Jin Ryu versus Justin Verlander on Tuesday and Zack Greinke versus Max Scherzer on Wednesday afternoon. The clubs split a two-game series in the second week of the season, with both games going 10 innings. 

Is this a World Series preview? Well, it obviously has World Series potential. Based on the playoff odds from FanGraphs that we use at ESPN.com, however, neither team is quite the favorite in its league to advance to the World Series. 

According to the bookies in Vegas, we very well could be seeing a preview of this season’s October Classic. The Tigers and Dodgers split the two game series in LA earlier this season, and while it would prove nothing to take both games from LA now,  it certainly would make the fans very happy. 

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Detroit Tigers aren’t most balanced team in AL, but pitching can overcome – Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press

A team’s trajectory matters in baseball, mostly because hitting can be contagious. You catch a team swinging the bats, you’re gonna lose, just as the Tigers did this past weekend.

Former Detroit Tigers skipper Jim Leyland used to say the timing of when you played a team was as important as who you played.

We saw that unfold the past few weeks as the Tigers pummeled a slumping Rangers squad, then got pounded by a Rays team breaking from its slump — whether Tampa Bay’s spike is temporary doesn’t matter.

This partly explains the streaky nature of this team, but not entirely. It’s still about starting pitching.

Starting pitching always wins. It wins in April and it wins in October. So yes, the Tigers’ may lack balance, but if the starters can all get it, and keep it together, then look out.