PHILADELPHIA -- Though Josh Harrison was hoping to avoid a stint on the injured list, the Tigers utility man at least received some encouraging news on Wednesday.

One day after Harrison landed on the injured list, an MRI on his left shoulder came back negative. The tests did not reveal any tears or serious issues, but simply a little inflammation on the top of his shoulder.

Harrison originally injured his shoulder while diving for a ball more than a week ago, but he reinjured it while swinging a bat recently. Manager Ron Gardenhire said he fully expects Harrison, whose placement on the injured list is retroactive to Saturday, to return to the lineup as soon as he's eligible.

"He’s on medication for that already, plus he’s probably going to end up getting a cortisone shot that should calm that thing down," Gardenhire said. "He should be ready to come up in a few days, and he has more days left [on the injured list], so he should definitely be ready."

Greiner putting in work

Grayson Greiner is only 49 games into his Major League career, but he has quickly learned that his study habits leading up to each game are every bit as important as his work in the batting cage or catching drills.

Greiner pores through packets of information on opposing hitters, then meets with fellow catcher John Hicks when he gets to the ballpark every day to compare notes.

"It’s overwhelming the amount of data they give us," said Greiner, who was not in Wednesday's lineup while battling flu-like symptoms. "You’ve just got to find what works out for you, and try to siphon it down to a CliffsNotes version that you can remember, then apply it to your specific pitcher and your opponent that day."

After coming up with his own ideas, Greiner meets with that night's starting pitcher and pitching coach Rick Anderson. Those meetings have often been taking place in Gardenhire's office, simply because that's the quietest place they can find.

"The one thing he’s really done well at is preparing for the game, with those pitcher-catcher meetings," Gardenhire said. "He’s actually put a lot of effort into it, sitting down and reading the reports, and then going to the pitcher, and they have good discussions on how we’re going to approach them. That’s where he’s really improved."

With all that work that goes into preparing for each hitter every night, Greiner said the toughest part for him has been learning when it's time to abandon a game plan if something isn't working on a given night.

The latest example came on Tuesday, when Spencer Turnbull was having trouble with his slider out of the gate. Greiner pivoted to a steady dose of fastballs and curveballs early -- even if the script called for sliders against a particular hitter -- until Turnbull was able to find his slider.

"That’s the biggest challenge. If the game plan isn’t working, you’ve got to go to something else," Greiner said. "You’ve got to adjust on the fly. You want to have a solid game plan, but at the same time, if it’s not working on a particular night, you need to be ready with something else."

Hardy ready to test arm

Reliever Blaine Hardy is expected to test his arm when Detroit returns home following Wednesday's series finale in Philadelphia. The left-hander, on the injured list with a left forearm strain, has done minimal work since his last appearance on April 21.

"When we get home, he’s actually going to get out there and play catch," Gardenhire said. "He’s going to have a session and get on the mound when we get home, and see where he’s at."

Hardy, who made 13 starts last season, is expected to remain in the bullpen. Though the Tigers have three starters on the injured list, they don't want to risk stretching out Hardy given his early-season arm injury.

News and notes

The Tigers optioned outfielder Victor Reyes to Triple-A Toledo following Wednesday's loss to the Phillies. The club will make a corresponding move prior to Friday's game against the Royals.