Leyland tempers expectations on Castellanos

BOSTON -- Nick Castellanos arrived in the big leagues Sunday with possibly as much anticipation as any Tigers hitting prospect in the last few years. His rise through the club's farm system, including his torrid midseason stretch this year at Triple-A Toledo, raised expectations on what he could do in Detroit.

With that in mind, manager Jim Leyland is doing his best to temper them. The first mention of Castellanos in his pregame media session Monday morning brought a word of caution. It also brought a hint of what kind of role he might play down the stretch.

"I think everybody's making a little too much of Castellanos," Leyland said. "We'll just see. We'll get him in there. We'll play him some. I wouldn't get carried away with that. We're going to get him in there as we see fit."

Castellanos made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter Sunday against a lefty reliever and stayed in left field for the final few innings. It's a role Matt Tuiasosopo has filled for much of the year, but the extra depth might allow Leyland to play matchups in left field more often, or play matchups at third base with Tuiasosopo and Don Kelly while Miguel Cabrera is out.