COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (AP) -Detroit Tigers ace Kenny Rogers pitched effectively Friday night in his second rehabilitation start in the minor leagues.
The 42-year-old left-hander took the loss in the West Michigan Whitecaps’ 10-0 loss to the Dayton Dragons. He allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits and two walks in five innings for the Tigers’ Class A Midwest League affiliate.
Rogers threw three-plus innings of shutout ball for Triple-A Toledo in the Mud Hens’ 2-1 win over Norfolk on June 10.
A sellout crowd of 10,537 fans at Fifth Third Ballpark greeted Rogers with a loud ovation after he emerged from the dugout to begin warming up Friday. He high-fived fans leaning over the rail along the right-field foul line.
“It was impressive,” Rogers told The Grand Rapids Press. “It’s amazing the support the Tigers franchise has. You can tell these fans are into baseball.”
The fans stood and roared again when Rogers tipped his cap before leaving the field and heading for the showers.
“I was more nervous about pitching here than I am for a major league outing,” Rogers said. “You want to do as well as everyone expects. You want to (please) the fans.”
Rogers has been on the disabled list all season after having surgery March 30 to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries. His rehabilitation schedule has projected Rogers rejoining the Tigers in July, but he has said he hopes to return to the rotation in June.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said earlier this week that he didn’t know if Rogers would need to start another game in the minors before being activated.
Rogers went 17-8 with a 3.48 ERA last year and won all three of his postseason starts while not allowing a run in 23 innings for the AL champions. Before surgery, he was 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in five exhibition starts during spring training.
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