DETROIT -- Shane Greene's path back from the blister that landed him on the disabled list three weeks ago will take him through Fort Wayne, Ind. The Tigers right-hander will begin a Minor League rehab assignment Friday night by pitching for Class A West Michigan on the road.
It'll be Greene's first outing since a blister on his right middle finger forced him out of a start on April 24.
All three of the Tigers' nearby Minor League affiliates are on the road this weekend, including Triple-A Toledo at Lehigh Valley and Double-A Erie at Richmond. West Michigan was the one team that was relatively close. Fort Wayne is about 2 1/2 hours from downtown Detroit, depending on traffic.
The Mud Hens return home next week, so if Greene needs another start, he can take it at Toledo. Greene felt good throwing a 50-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday, so he's pretty far along already.
"We'll take it a day at a time," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.
Top prospectMichael Fulmer has filled in admirably in Greene's absence, and he is scheduled to make his fifth Major League start on Saturday against the Rays.
Every Lowe point has a rebound
Lost in Tuesday's 7-2 Tigers win was Mark Lowe's first full scoreless inning since May 1. It wasn't easy, having walked the first two batters after 1-2 and 0-2 counts, but a called third strike on Byung Ho Park helped him rebound to retire the Twins in order from there.
Both bench coach Gene Lamont, who managed the game, and Ausmus said it was important for him to get through it.
"To be truthful, he was close to being taken out," Lamont said. "I'm not going to say I was going to leave him in there until we were in real trouble, because he's struggled lately. We have to have Mark Lowe pitch well for us. He's got to get back in the groove, get his slider, some velocity back, for our bullpen to be what we think it is. Mark Lowe has to be part of it."
Said Ausmus: "His velocity came back up. He came back out and finished the inning, even after that one ball was almost a double play. He was still able to get the next guy and get out of there. We're going to need him at the back of the bullpen like we planned when we signed him."