Jones takes detour to Detroit for early return

DETROIT -- JaCoby Jones was on his way to the airport Thursday morning for a flight to continue his rehab assignment on the road with Triple-A Toledo. A call from general manager Al Avila put him on a detour.

Instead of heading to the airport, Jones headed to Comerica Park, where the Tigers center fielder was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and put in Detroit’s starting lineup in center. Jones went 0-for-3 at the plate in the 4-0 loss to the Indians, but he made a nice running catch in center field.

“I wasn't expecting it,” Jones said Thursday morning after arriving in the Tigers’ clubhouse. “I thought I was going to play a few more games at Triple-A. But here I am.”

It was a decision that came from Detroit’s front office, and it speaks to the impact Jones’ defense makes in center. The original plan was for Jones to continue his rehab assignment with Toledo through the weekend after being moved up from Class A Advanced Lakeland on Wednesday. Team officials wanted Jones to have enough at-bats in the Minors to make sure he was ready for Major League pitching after opening the season on the injured list with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder.

One game with the Mud Hens was all Jones needed to move up the timetable.

“We had designed plans for him to play four or five ballgames,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We actually were going to let him go to Norfolk to play a couple games while we were going to Minnesota because of this weather, but it didn't work out that way. I've got people that I answer to also.”

Jones went 2-for-5 with a triple Wednesday night for the Mud Hens as they wrapped up their homestand in Toledo.

“I'm full-go, ready to go,” said Jones, who injured his shoulder on a diving catch attempt in the final days of Spring Training. “If I have to dive, I'm going to dive, whatever I have to do. I don't care.”

To make room for Jones on the 25-man roster, the Tigers designated fellow outfielder Mikie Mahtook for assignment, closing out his slow start. That, too, was an organizational decision.

Gardenhire had been preaching patience with Mahtook, whose 0-for-23 slump was the longest hitless streak to open a season in Tigers history. Though Detroit had a Minor League option remaining with fellow outfielder Dustin Peterson, who had been recalled from Triple-A Toledo to fill Jones’ spot at the end of Spring Training, the team decided instead to cut Mahtook, believing he might pass through waivers unclaimed. If so, the Tigers can outright him to Toledo.

“It wasn't the ideal plan,” Gardenhire said. “We've just got to get JaCoby back up here. We need him in center. It just turned out this is the way we're gonna go.

“It's unfortunate because I really, really like [Mahtook]. He did get off to a rough start and he knows he's not playing very well right now. Hopefully he'll get through [waivers], we'll get him in Triple-A. I guess best-case scenario for him is that somebody picks him up, puts him in the big leagues. That would be great. I would be happy about it. I would be sad that we lost him in this organization, but happy for him.”

Castellanos scratched from Tigers' lineup

Just as the Tigers got back one outfielder, they lost another, though right fielder Nicholas Castellanos isn’t expected to miss much time with what he called a sprained right big toe. He’s day to day.

“It's been bothering me for the past three days,” Castellanos said after Thursday’s loss, “and then today was the worst out of the days. So they decided to go and get an X-ray and an MRI just to be safe. … We have an off-day [Friday] with the game getting snowed out, so I'm going to do everything to be back on the field as soon as possible.”

Castellanos had been a fixture in the second spot in Detroit’s batting order since the season began. Though he has no home runs and just two RBIs, he has seven runs scored while batting .255 with four doubles, a triple and six walks.

“The one thing we don't want to do is try to rush him back through this thing and have it linger on,” Gardenhire said. “If it takes this weekend, that's what it'll be. Just go day by day.”

Quick hits

• The Tigers made an early switch in the Triple-A Toledo bullpen Thursday, promoting right-hander Eduardo Jimenez from Double-A Erie while releasing right-hander Paul Voelker. The 26-year-old Voelker was in Major League camp with Detroit in Spring Training and made just two appearances with the Hens so far this season, allowing three runs on five hits over 2 2/3 innings with a walk and two strikeouts. The 24-year-old Jimenez pitched just two games at Erie, allowing an earned run on three hits in three innings in his first Double-A stint.

• Gardenhire entered Thursday tied with his mentor, longtime Twins manager Tom Kelly, with 1,140 wins, 50th on the MLB all-time list. Kelly hired Gardenhire as a coach on his staff in 1991. “He's a good man, really tough, hard love, taught me an awful lot,” Gardenhire said. “So to say him and I have the same number of wins is pretty cool. I honestly would like to just leave right now. I could stay there and be happy, just because of that and remain, in my opinion, associated with one of the better managers I've ever been around. I think that's a pretty big deal.”