Norris made a relief appearance in the eighth inning of Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, but manager Ron Gardenhire said he's still a starter, Bill Whitehead of MLB.com reports.
Norris made 18 starts for the Tigers last season, but the addition of Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano has complicated things at the back of the rotation. Gardenhire said Norris is in the mix to start, but it appears he'd be open to using the 24-year-old lefty as a reliever, too. "If you've got a good arm and you've got a chance to make this club, it doesn't matter how you make it," Gardenhire said. The Tigers would love to see Norris take a step forward this year and establish himself as a solid MLB starter, but after posting a 5.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 2017, a rotation spot certainly isn't guaranteed.