WASHINGTON (AP) -Kenny Rogers will make his first start of the season on Friday when the Detroit Tigers begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
Detroit manager Jim Leyland made the decision after meeting with Rogers before the start of an interleague series at Washington on Monday.
“Until I get on the mound, I’m not taking anything for granted,” Rogers said.
Leyland toyed with starting Rogers on Wednesday against the Nationals, but opted to keep left-hander Jeremy Bonderman on his normal rotation.
“You don’t want to get Bondo off his day because he’s been doing well, so Kenny is going to pitch Friday,” Leyland said.
Leyland said Rogers would not be on a pitch count in his return start.
The 42-year-old left-hander 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 rehab schedule had him rejoining the Tigers in July, but Rogers had said he hoped to make it back before the All-Star break.
Rogers made two minor league rehabilitation starts. He threw three-plus innings of shutout ball for Triple-A Toledo on June 10, and gave up three runs – one earned – in five innings for Class-A West Michigan on Friday.
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.
His return will bolster a rotation missing left-hander Nate Robertson, who went on the 15-day DL on June 6 with a tired arm. Four other Detroit pitchers are also on the disabled list: right-handers Zach Miner (right elbow strain), Roman Colon (neck surgery) and Joel Zumaya (right middle finger strain), and left-hander Edwin Campusano (left elbow surgery).
“Anytime you get some guy back with the quality of a Kenny Rogers, obviously you’re tickled to death, because it solidifies your rotation more and you’re not grasping for straws like we have been all year,” Leyland said. “We need to get our pitchers straightened out. It’s still a mess.”
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