Tigers notes: Starter or bullpen? How will team use Shane Greene?

OAKLAND, Calif. – Shane Greene started the season in the bullpen. Then he joined the starting rotation. Now, the Detroit Tigers’ right-hander could be headed back to the bullpen.

Before Friday night’s series opener against the Athletics, bench coach Gene Lamont, who assumed managerial duties with Brad Ausmus away for a family matter, said the team has been discussing which role Greene will fill when he returns from the 15-day disabled list in the near future.

“He’s got a great arm,” Lamont said. “I think he can be a starter or a reliever. You just have to decide where is best for him and where is best for the team.”

Two things will factor heavily into the Tigers’ decision. First, Greene’s injury history. He is on the disabled list for a right middle finger blister, which forced him to exit his third start of the season early on April 25 against the Indians. Secondly, the emergence of rookie righty Michael Fulmer, who has all but established himself in the starting rotation with his past two stellar starts.

Perhaps the Tigers will decide Greene would be best utilized not throwing so many pitches, which could put the blister at further risk of reinjuring.

“You have to decide, is the finger problem going to be a problem if he throws 80 or 90 or whatever pitches?” Lamont said. “Will it be better? We don’t really know that.”

Greene has said in the past that he has no preference where he pitches.

He has thrown two minor league rehabilitation starts and Lamont said “ideally” would throw another before returning from the disabled list, but has only reached 52 pitches, in his last start with Triple-A Toledo.

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In four games – three starts – this season, Greene has allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in 14 1/3 innings, with 11 strikeouts and nine walks. In 2015, he started off scorching hot before succumbing to injury, and ultimately, off-season surgery.

Greene likely isn’t a candidate to fill-in for Jordan Zimmermann on Tuesday against the Angels if Zimmermann is forced to the disabled list with a Grade 1 right groin strain, but after Lamont’s insight, appears a strong candidate to join the bullpen, perhaps in favor of rookie righty Warwick Saupold, who was hit hard in Saturday’s loss to the A’s.

■Ausmus is back: After two games out of the dugout dealing with a family issue – his mother’s death and his daughter’s high school graduation – Ausmus returned to the team around 10:15 a.m. Saturday morning, fresh off a flight from San Diego.

He walked into the visiting manager’s office at O.Co Coliseum just as Lamont was wrapping up his pregame media session with reporters.

Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech. Download our Tigers Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!

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