Torii getting his swings in Tigers' No. 5 spot

DETROIT -- Austin Jackson's tenure as the Tigers' fifth hitter behind Victor Martinez lasted all of one game. With Tyler Collins batting second on Wednesday, Torii Hunter moved into the fifth slot.

Hunter's self-expressed comfort level batting second and his history as a veteran run producer on a team that doesn't have many of those is going to land him in the fifth spot on certain days when no one else logically fits.

"I think Torii, especially against left-handed hitters, is one guy who slots in well in the fifth spot," Ausmus said. "The five-hole for us, we don't really have a prototypical five-hole hitter, but I think against a left-handed pitcher, Torii looks more like a five-hole hitter than anyone else on the team."

Hunter has batted in more games in the fifth spot (608) than any other slot in his career. However, he didn't hit there at all there last year, and had played just 22 games there over the last four years.