Tigers lefty Adam Wilk failed to make it out of the third inning on Wednesday and in the process raised his ERA for the season to 8.18.
On the subject of Wilk and his role, it's worth noting that injured right-hander Doug Fister, whom Wilk replaced in the Detroit rotation, is making progress in his recovery from a strained left rib-cage muscle. Jason Beck of MLB.com reports that Fister was able to play catch on Wednesday and is scheduled to throw from a mound on Thursday morning.
Fister first injured himself during his last start on April 6 and then suffered a setback roughly a week ago. Fister's likely facing at least one minor-league rehab start, so he's almost certainly not going to return before the end of the month. Still, as Beck notes, this week's progress "puts a return in sight."
Since Wilk has been overmatched in two of his three starts in Fister's absence, the latter's return will be welcome news for manager Jim Leyland and his Tigers.
Last season, the 28-year-old Fister posted a 2.83 ERA in 216.1 innings for Detroit and Seattle. The Tigers acquired him at last year's non-waiver trade deadline.
