Lambert to return, start for Tigers next week

by Dan Nilsen | The Flint Journal

Thursday August 28, 2008, 12:05 AM

DETROIT -- Chris Lambert didn't even get a full cup of coffee with the Detroit Tigers, but he'll be back for more.

Lambert was sent back to Toledo on Wednesday after just one day with the Tigers, but it wasn't because the right-hander was roughed up in his major league debut Tuesday.

Lambert was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Jeff Larish, who was brought up to play third base in Wednesday night's game against Cleveland.

It was a move Tigers manager Jim Leyland was mulling even before Lambert gave up six runs in the third inning of Tuesday's 10-4 loss. Larish gives Detroit another position player and a left-handed hitter, specifically to replace Carlos Guillen, who is out indefinitely with lower back spasms.

Lambert will be recalled when rosters expand Monday, and he will start Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels.

It was a simple shuffle play designed to maximize the Tigers' roster, Leyland said.

Leyland had every intention of giving Lambert another chance after the 25-year-old pitched two solid innings but was hurt by two Tigers errors in the disastrous third.

"I just don't think it's right to give a guy one start after he did a good job (in Toledo)," Leyland said. "He wasn't great (Tuesday), but we didn't help him much. I don't have it in my heart to not give him at least another shot."

Lambert will remain with the club the rest of the season, but playing time is not guaranteed beyond Tuesday.

That applies to anyone the Tigers bring up, Leyland asserted, and, frankly, he's not blown away by what he's seen down on the farm lately.

"I've been a little disappointed in the performance of some of the guys down there," Leyland said, citing batting averages since the All-Star break for Larish (.222), Mike Hollimon (.130), Clete Thomas (.260) and Brent Clevlen (.261).

He also has no sympathy for players who suffer a letdown in their game after they've spent time in the majors and then were sent down again.

"If you can't get up to play the games down there because you've been up in the big leagues for eight days, then you've got a major problem," he said.

"You don't graduate to the big leagues. You go down there and play and you earn your way. A .260 or .250 at Triple A, you're lucky to be smelling the big leagues."

Leyland said he would deliver that message to all the players brought up next week, and even to some left behind.

"It will be a very professional message," he said. "I'm not mad at anybody. I like them all, I think they all have a lot of potential. But this is a business about production."

Going home
Todd Jones, on the disabled list since Aug. 16 with a sore shoulder, is going home indefinitely. The right-handed reliever said good-bye at a brief team meeting and indicated he might be back in September.

"We're going to send him home, get him away from it and just put everything on hold," Leyland said. "He tried to throw a little bit the other day and wasn't right.

"I think he'll be back at some point, but I really don't foresee him pitching at this point."

Odds & ends
Relief pitcher Francis Beltran, who was designated for assignment Tuesday, was outrighted to Toledo on Wednesday. ... Guillen is receiving treatment to reduce inflammation in his back, Leyland said. ... Going into Wednesday's game, Miguel Cabrera was within one double and two home runs of collecting 30 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season. It would be only the 10th time in franchise history that has been accomplished.