BOSTON -- Finally, the injury news for the Tigers is in their favor.
After seeing third baseman Jeimer Candelario depart from Tuesday night's game when he jammed his middle finger fielding a J.D. Martinez hot shot, the fact that he didn't follow the path of much of the team's pitching staff -- to the disabled list -- is encouraging.
"We just go day by day," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "We've always tried to do that. Every team has injuries. It got a little crazy there for a little while and we started getting people back, which is a good thing. Now, we're grinding through 18 games in a row. It is what it is."
After taking some early cuts in the cage Wednesday, Candelario, who has played 50 games at the hot corner this season, declared, "I felt good. I feel great. It happens sometimes. You just got to come the next day and get better."
On Tuesday, the results of him fielding that grounder became evident when he whisked the ball to the left of Jose Cabrera at first base, but X-rays taken after he was removed came back negative.
While the third baseman was not in the starting lineup for Wednesday night's game at Fenway Park, he and his manager stated he was an option to, at the least, pinch-hit.
"He's available," the Detroit skipper said. "We'll go out and watch him take BP and all that. He took some swings in the cage and says he feels OK. We'll go out, take ground balls, do all those things, make sure he can throw the ball across the field. I think he's going to be fine."
As for the prospect of getting an at-bat late in the game, Candelario confidently stated, "Pinch-hit, bases loaded, bomb."
That opportunity would not come, but a full day of rest, and a clean run at pregame hitting and fielding practice without issue, should have him on the right track.
Wilson rejoins team, Norris ready to throw
Continuing the good news on the injury front, the Tigers got a little closer to getting back one of their more reliable arms as Alex Wilson rejoined the club Wednesday
"Were going to let him do his runaround," said Gardenhire prior to Wednesday's game. "Everything went well yesterday; he said he feels good."
Wilson, who has been on the 10-day disabled list since May 8 with a left plantar fascia strain, pitched in a rehab stint for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, walking one and striking out two over an inning and a third.
Following the Tigers' 7-1 loss Wednesday, it was announced the team would activate the right-hander prior to Thursday's game, with infielder Ronny Rodriguez being optioned to Toledo.
Gardenhire also reported Wednesday that left-hander Daniel Norris is set to begin a throwing program as he continues to work his way back from left groin surgery performed in May.
"They told me he's actually starting to do some light throwing, controlled everything," said Detroit's manager. "At first, he was pretty sore through the groin area that they did the surgery on. He's starting to feel good now, starting to move around pretty good. He's moving forward now."
Including Wilson and Norris, the Tigers have six players currently on the disabled list, all of them pitchers.