Tigers demote Wilk, bring up Villarreal

By foxsports
Published

DETROIT -- Adam Wilk's  disastrous start on Wednesday earned him a one-way trip to Toledo.

After Wilk allowed six runs on eight hits in two innings of Detroit's 9-1 loss to Seattle, the Tigers optioned his contract back to the Triple-A Mud Hens. Brayan Villarreal was called back up from Toledo, but won't replace Wilk in the starting rotation.

"Right now, we have no announcement about who the starting pitcher will be," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after the game.

The rotation spot belongs to Doug Fister, who is recovering from a strained rib-cage muscle. Fister is due to throw a bullpen session on Thursday, but would probably need a rehab start before pitching for the Tigers.

That leaves Duane Below and Thad Weber, both of whom pitched in long relief Wednesday, as the best candidates to start against Kansas City next Monday.