Porcello feels fine day after early exit

BALTIMORE -- The left-side tightness that led Tigers manager Brad Ausmus to pull Rick Porcello after six innings and just 83 pitches Monday night is not expected to be a concern ahead of Porcello's next start on Saturday at Boston. Porcello said he did some easy throwing Tuesday without any restriction.

"It felt fine," Porcello said.

Porcello could not remember any particular play that brought on the injury. He mentioned the injury to Ausmus in the middle innings, and Ausmus made the decision to pull him as a precaution.

"He fought me on it," Ausmus said. "He wanted to go back out, and he could have in terms of pitch count. But I just thought the safe thing to do would be to get him out of there right now before something bad happens. If he had gone back out there and really injured himself, I would have trouble sleeping."

The Tigers already have one starter working his way back from injury in Anibal Sanchez, who went on the 15-day DL 2 1/2 weeks ago with a ruptured blister on his right middle finger. He felt fine Tuesday after his Monday simulated game, and he's now penciled in as the starter for Sunday night's nationally televised series finale against the Red Sox.

Porcello improved to 6-1 with six innings of one-run ball Monday.