DETROIT -- The Tigers received clarification from Major League Baseball regarding the replay review that overturned their would-be game-winning run from Opening Day on Friday. While manager Ron Gardenhire still isn't happy about the result, he said both sides came away with an understanding about the process.
"We heard what we wanted to hear," Gardenhire said Monday morning. "They told us what we knew was right."
The main objection, Gardenhire said, was what he considered a lengthy search for evidence that Nicholas Castellanos was tagged on his way to home plate on JaCoby Jones' 10th-inning single Friday, and whether that evidence was conclusive.
"You're talking almost double the time limit they're talking about, two minutes and then it goes on," Gardenhire said. "This got to 3:40, and they're looking for a needle in a haystack now.
"There was a mistake. … The explanation was they really didn't have conclusive evidence [initially] that somebody tagged him for sure. Yes, he might have gotten him. In this situation, it has to be definitive. And obviously, that didn't happen. There were mistakes made, and that's fine. It won't bring anything back, but we just wanted to make sure that [MLB knew] I wasn't out there arguing that they screwed up the call. I was arguing about the time you get to make these decisions."
Gardenhire was ejected for arguing once Castellanos was ruled out. Ironically, as Pirates manager Clint Hurdle later pointed out, Gardenhire was arguing with home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo, who had ruled Castellanos to be safe before review overturned his ruling.
One reason for the length of the review was that the Tigers were celebrating on the field after the play at the plate, but Gardenhire countered that the Tigers stopped celebrating and waited once the crew chief put on the headphones and began talking with the replay official in New York.
Overall, Gardenhire said he believes the discussion can help move the process in the right direction.
"It's gonna make it better down the road," Gardenhire said. "It's all about adjusting."
Major League Baseball released a statement on the matter Monday afternoon: "The nature of the exchange with the Tigers was that the Replay Officials made the correct call based on conclusive evidence. The video clearly shows the catcher applying the tag on the upper right arm of the runner."
While replay review rules generally guide a replay official to make a decision within two minutes once a call is confirmed to be under review -- or else rule that a call stands -- the rules also allow for additional time if the replay director reasonably believes such time will likely result in an incorrect call being overturned.
Injury updates
Shortstop Jose Iglesias and outfielder Victor Reyes weren't in the Tigers' lineup for Monday's series opener against the Royals after their collision in left field Sunday. Neither appears to be seriously hurt.

Iglesias received a day off Monday after playing both games of Sunday's doubleheader against the Pirates. Iglesias said he suffered a sore left ankle in the collision, but he was OK to play.
"It's a little sore," Iglesias said. "Obviously this weather doesn't help. But it's fine. I'll be all right."
Iglesias said he heard Reyes calling for the ball, but that he was already under it by that time and couldn't get out of the way. He was calling for it as well, but Reyes couldn't hear him.
"To me, the outfielder always has the priority," Iglesias said, "but I'm always in charge. That's just me. I try to make every play I can. So, it's going to happen sometimes, but it's a good thing. That means you want to make every play you can."
As for Reyes, he said he was feeling fine despite eight stitches in his right forearm. Gardenhire said they'll progress carefully with him to not risk re-opening the gash caused by Iglesias' spikes.
"We're going to keep him away from taking swings or anything like that, give him a day here, and then tomorrow get in there and see how he does, how sore he really gets," Gardenhire said. "He seems to think he's gonna be just fine, so we're going to give him a day or two here before we really make him do anything, let this thing heal a little bit."
Quick hits
• Castellanos has played every inning this season so far in right field, and Gardenhire said he won't be lifted for a defensive replacement late in games.
"He is my right fielder. There will not be substituting for him," Gardenhire said. "The only way for him to get better and be confident out there, is for me to leave him out there. I will not mess with him. He is my right fielder, and he's going to be a really good one."
• Gardenhire said he went with Drew VerHagen with an eighth-inning lead Friday based on what he saw of VerHagen in Spring Training, as well as what they knew about the batters coming up.
"Curveballs work, and that guy's got a really good one," Gardenhire said, "so we went with the spin guy. We're on trial and error right now. We're trying to figure out who fits."