DETROIT (AP) - Ailing Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was scratched from the starting lineup for Game 3 of the AL championship series Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.
Young was initially left off Detroit’s roster for the ALCS because of what was then described as a left oblique injury that he aggravated in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Yankees. Further tests showed that might not be the actual nature of his problem.
He returned to play in Game 2 of the ALCS on Monday after Magglio Ordonez re-fractured his right ankle. Young went 0 for 4 as the Tigers lost, falling into an 0-2 deficit.
Young was originally listed in the lineup Tuesday, but Tigers manager Jim Leyland said during a pregame news conference that the outfielder was hurting too much to play.
“It stiffened up. It’s really sore today. I’m not going to go into any further detail,” Leyland said. “If Delmon Young is not in the lineup, believe me, he’s hurting, because he loves to play.”
Young was going to bat third, but Leyland replaced him in the lineup with Andy Dirks. Miguel Cabrera was moved one spot higher in the order to No. 3 and Dirks batted ninth.
Dirks was set to play right field, and Ryan Raburn was moved from right to take Young’s spot in left.
The Tigers struggled to score runs in the first two games at Texas and, back at Comerica Park, are trying to overcome injuries to Young, Ordonez and outfielder Brennan Boesch.
Young hit three home runs during Detroit’s five-game victory over the New York Yankees in the division series. Leyland said he couldn’t give an estimate on when Young might be able to play again.
“Could he be ready for one of their left-handers in the next day or so? I don’t really know how to answer that,” Leyland said. “I would rather not get into that. I’m not a medical person.”
Some of Detroit’s top hitters from the regular season have struggled in the playoffs. Alex Avila entered Tuesday night’s game 2 for 25 in the postseason, and Victor Martinez was 4 for 25.
Still, Games 1 and 2 were both competitive, with Texas taking the opener 3-2 and winning Monday on Nelson Cruz’s 11th-inning grand slam.
“I hate to say this _ this probably sounds terrible: It’s been a great series so far,” Leyland said. “It just hasn’t worked out in our favor at any point.”
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