Davis out of lineup due to sore shoulder

OAKLAND -- Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis was not in the starting lineup on Thursday because of a sore left shoulder, but he was available to play off the bench.

Davis said he could have finished Wednesday's game, which he exited after the top of the seventh, "if I needed to," but he was given a rest to "just give it some time."

Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said he held Davis out of Thursday's series finale with the Oakland Athletics because of the shoulder soreness.

"I didn't want to throw him back in there the next day," Ausmus said. "He's still a little sore. I can't say, if he didn't hurt his shoulder, he would have been out of the lineup. He's not in the lineup because of the shoulder."

Outfielder Torii Hunter, who hit solo home runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, was also out of the starting lineup, but for a different reason.

"I give Torii a day off because he's old, and you can tell him I said that," Ausmus said, smiling. "I played when I was his age. We need Torii for the long haul."

Left-handed-hitter Don Kelly took Hunter's place in the lineup.