Doug Fister Placed on DL; Tigers recall Brayan Villarreal

Following his early exit from yesterday’s contest against the Boston Red Sox, Doug Fister has been placed on the Detroit Tigers 15-day disabled list.  The Tigers are saying Fister is dealing with a strained rib on his left side.  To fill Fister’s roster spot, Detroit has recalled right-hander Brayan Villarreal.

The discomfort Fister was feeling from his side caused him to leave Saturday’s game before he logged four innings.  Villarreal will take Fister’s spot on the Tigers pitching staff for now, but he’s not expected to take the right-hander’s slot in the starting rotation.

Fister was next scheduled to pitch on Friday when the Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox.  Jason Beck of MLB.com named Duane Below as the favorite to claim Fister’s now open rotation spot.

The Tigers have not said how long they expect to be without Fister, but judging by the club’s immediate move to the DL, Beck believes the injury could prove significant.

Below was competing for the final spot in Detroit’s rotation this spring.  The 26-year-old left-hander has two major league starts under his belt along with 13 other appearances for the Tigers.  Over his six seasons in the minors, Below maintained an ERA and WHIP of 3.66 and 1.347 with 8.3 SO/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

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