DETROIT (AP) -The Detroit Tigers activated Gary Sheffield from the disabled list Tuesday and put the designated hitter in the lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sheffield was sidelined with an oblique strain on his left side after he was slowed early in the season by a surgically repaired shoulder.
“I felt like my shoulder benefited the most from this,” he said.
Sheffield hit just .213 with three homers and 12 RBIs in his first 39 games this season.
To make room on the roster, Detroit sent first baseman Jeff Larish to Triple-A Toledo.
Sheffield hit .154 with two homers and two RBIs in five games at Single-A Lakeland during a rehab assignment.
“If he gets rolling, that’s a big impact and our lineup is very deep,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “That would be a big boost.
“Hopefully, we’re getting our slugger back.”
The nine-time All-Star is a career .294 hitter with 483 homers and 1588 RBIs. The 39-year-old Sheffield had surgery on his right shoulder during the offseason.
Shortly after losing to St. Louis in 2006 World Series, Detroit made a bold trade, sending right-handed prospects Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett to the New York Yankees for Sheffield. The Tigers gave a $28 million contract extension through 2009, and promised him he wouldn’t play first base.
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