Triple-A rehab inning Putkonen's next step

DETROIT -- Detroit long reliever Luke Putkonen will throw an inning for Triple-A Toledo on Friday, the latest step in his recovery from right elbow inflammation.

Putkonen pitched a scoreless inning of relief on Wednesday for Class A West Michigan and felt good.

"He said he didn't feel the discomfort in his elbow," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

The Tigers have a tentative plan in place for Putkonen beyond Friday's appearance, but it's contingent on how he feels after the outing.

"If everything goes well, we'll take the next step," Ausmus said.