DETROIT -- The sight of the familiar name to Tigers fans on the back of an Astros jersey was an odd one as he trotted out to his spot. The reaction he received from his old home fans was entirely expected for a Tigers legend.

Yes, Don Kelly’s return to Comerica Park was a notable one for fans, who have made him a cult hero of sorts in Detroit.

“You know what, that was really cool. And it still is,” said the former Tigers utility player turned Astros first-base coach. “It’s something that I think being a hard-nosed, blue-collar type guy resonated with the city, and they appreciate it. Even though you don’t go up and get a hit every time, you go out there and give it everything you’ve got. I think they appreciated that.”

The appreciation is peculiar to many outside Detroit, but it makes sense here. Kelly played just about every position but shortstop in his six-year tenure as Tiger, a superutility player at a time when not every team had one. He even pitched for the Tigers in a game in 2011.

Beyond that, Kelly was an unlikely postseason hero. His spot in the first-base coaching box Monday night was close to the site where he was mobbed along the first-base line following his walk-off sacrifice fly to win Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Oakland. A year earlier, his home run started the Tigers’ attack in a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, helping upset the Bronx Bombers. Before that, he scored a go-ahead run for the Tigers with a mad dash from first base on a double in the 2009 AL Central tiebreaker at the Metrodome against the Twins.

The walk-off sac fly, he said, was his favorite moment.

“I mean, obviously everybody wants to hit a home run,” he said, “but to walk off to end it at home with your fans going nuts, that was pretty special.”

Beyond that, though, was the personality. Kelly’s approachable demeanor and positive personality made him a fan favorite much more than his .230 career average and .628 OPS would suggest.

“He’s got that type of personality, you know? He makes everybody around him feel good,” said Astros pitcher and ex-Tiger Justin Verlander, a teammate throughout Kelly’s Tigers tenure. “He’s always positive. I definitely saw that. Very friendly, just always looking to lift you up. What else can you say? A guy looking to do that is going to make the people around him very happy.”

Kelly rejoined the Tigers organization a few years ago as a scout and instructor. He moved into a role on their Major League scouting staff last year, helping evaluate talent on opposing teams for potential trades and signings, but coaching remained an interest.

When former Tigers catcher and current Astros manager A.J. Hinch wanted him on his coaching staff, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

“Every coach has a different role and touches a different part of your roster. And for Donnie, I wanted somebody that was player-friendly, was very relatable to the players,” Hinch said. “I wanted someone that would invest time and energy in the smaller parts of the game, the intricacies of base running -- the leads, the secondary leads, the primary leads -- it’s just all the things that a first base coach can implement at first base. It was important to have somebody that was hungry.”

Said Kelly, “I really enjoyed my time scouting. The front office, they were awesome in helping me along to grow as a scout, and I did some player development there as well. To be able to get back on the field was a great opportunity.”

Asked if managing was an end goal, Kelly didn’t rule it out.

“You know what, we’re just taking it one year at a time,” he said. “I mean, eventually, down the road maybe, but I’m just really fortunate to be in this position and have this opportunity right now.”

Tigers running out of starters

Though Tyson Ross was on the field for pregame work Monday, his future was no clearer than it was Sunday, when he was placed on the 10-day injured list with ulnar neuritis in his right arm. He felt no better Monday, Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Ross could soon visit Dr. Robert Thompson, the specialist who performed his thoracic outlet surgery three years ago, to review his medical information. That combination makes it unlikely his stay on the injured list will be minimal.

The Tigers have yet to address how they’ll fill his rotation spot, which comes up Wednesday against the Astros and opposite Verlander. They already have left Ryan Carpenter in their rotation filling in for injured Jordan Zimmermann.

“It could possibly be a bullpen day, and it could possibly be that we find a diamond in the rough,” Gardenhire said. “Put your percentages on which one you like best.”

Lefty Nick Ramirez, who threw four innings of one-run ball in relief on Saturday against Minnesota, would be a candidate, but he threw 72 pitches in that outing and would have to be ready on three days’ rest.

As for Zimmermann, the right-hander is continuing with his throwing progression but is still feeling discomfort when he extends his arm during delivery.

“We’ll just have to let him keep trying to work up to 90 feet,” Gardenhire said. “Right now, he’s not really comfortable.”

The Tigers also signed former Reds starter Tim Adleman from the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. The 31-year-old right-hander made 33 starts for the Reds in 2016 and 2017 before pitching in the Korea Baseball Organization last year. He gave up two runs on six hits over 11 innings for Long Island in a start and two relief appearances, striking out 14 batters.