DETROIT -- Saturday’s miserable weather didn’t give Jordy Mercer a chance to hit the field at Comerica Park as part of his rehab for his strained right quad. But he’s hoping to be ready to return from the 10-day injured list sometime next week.

Mercer is eligible to return from the IL next Wednesday while the Tigers are in Boston. Mercer said he hopes to be ready for either the end of that series or the start of next weekend’s three-game set against the White Sox in Chicago.

Mercer said he’s currently hitting in the cage and running the treadmill. The more important test on his quad, he anticipates, will be making cuts in the field and repeating the side-to-side movements required of a shortstop.

“He’s actually doing really good,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He’s not ready to play yet, but he’s really close.”

Gardenhire said Mercer will likely go on a brief Minor League rehab assignment once he’s close. Triple-A Toledo is on the road next week at Charlotte and Gwinnett. Double-A Erie is at home the first few days of the week, while Class A West Michigan begins a homestand next Thursday.

The Tigers have missed Mercer’s presence in the field. Gordon Beckham and Ronny Rodriguez each have an error at shortstop in Mercer’s absence, and Rodriguez would’ve had another if not for a replay review reversing a safe call.

Gardy climbs ejections list

Gardenhire was telling a story earlier this week about getting ejected from a game when umpire Joe West told him not to step on the dirt as he came out to argue a call. Gardenhire took it as a challenge, stepped on the dirt and was promptly tossed.

Gardenhire’s ejection from Friday’s game wasn’t quite along those lines, but it was fairly quick and simple from home-plate umpire Todd Tichenor. It was also no surprise to Gardenhire, who was trying to keep starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann from getting tossed for arguing Tichenor’s strike zone.

“There was a lot going on, a lot of hooting and hollering, a lot of yelling, and that’s when I know,” Gardenhire said. “My players are going to stay in the game, and I just have to get all the focus towards me. That’s exactly what I did. I didn’t want my pitcher to get thrown out, and I just went out there and raised my hands.”

According to the Tigers, it was Gardenhire’s 78th career ejection, though baseball-reference.com lists him with 76. Either way, he’s eighth on the MLB all-time ejections list and tops among active managers. His closest active competitor, Giants manager Bruce Bochy, picked up his 75th career ejection Thursday.

Soto reinstated

Left-hander Gregory Soto, the 26th-ranked prospect in the Tigers' system according to MLB Pipeline, was reinstated from the restricted list Saturday after completing his 20-game suspension. He was assigned to Class A Advanced Lakeland, where he spent last season.

MLB suspended Soto in January for “conduct detrimental or prejudicial to baseball,” according to a release. Neither Soto, the Tigers nor MLB would specify what conduct led to the suspension.

Soto had been on the restricted list during the suspension and didn’t count on Detroit’s 40-man roster. The Tigers had an open roster spot after designating Mikie Mahtook for assignment last week, so adding Soto back was simple. Though Detroit’s roster is now technically full, the team can open up a spot if needed by transferring left-hander Matt Moore to the 60-day injured list. He’s out for the season following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.