UPDATE:Avisail Garcia started in right field on Saturday. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the team's 4-1 win, though he did leave four men on base during the contest.
- AJ Mass
Right field has been a problem spot in Detroit all season long. The Tigers, though, think a future fix could also be a solution for the present.
In somewhat of a surprise move, the club brought up 21-year-old Avisail Garcia Friday, and the prospect saw his first action as a late-game replacement.
To make room on the roster, Jeff Baker was traded to the Atlanta Braves.
Garcia was promoted from Double-A, where he was hitting .312/.345/.465. He has no experience at Triple-A, but manager Jim Leyland is a big fan and is eager to see what he can do. "I thought he had the best all-around tools of any kid we had," Leyland said after watching Garcia during each of the last two spring trainings.
While this seems like a bit of an odd move for a team in the middle of a playoff chase, let's not forget that the Tigers are known for challenging their best young prospects by pushing them up the ladder quickly. And frankly, with the likes of Brennan Boesch and other right fielders struggling for much of the season -- the team's cumulative .632 OPS from right fielders ranks second-worst in baseball -- Garcia could provide a boost down the stretch.
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