The tradition calls for Detroit Tiger players making a rehab appearance in Toledo to buy a postgame meal for their Mud Hens teammates.
With two Tigers at Fifth Third Field on Friday, Jordan Zimmermann and J.D. Martinez both were available to supply the spread.
“It’s my second one — and he hasn’t gotten one yet,” said Zimmermann, who treated his teammates to food from Mancy’s Bluewater Grille following a 6-2 win over Gwinnett. “He’s going to have a rough time when he gets back to Detroit — I’ll let everybody know.”
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There were smiles all around the Toledo clubhouse, and the happiness stemmed from more than the food as Zimmermann and Martinez took one step closer to returning to the Tigers.
Zimmermann, who is coming back from a strained neck, allowed six hits and two runs, one of which was earned, in four innings. He threw 78 pitches, 48 of which were strikes, and walked two batters while fanning one.
“The curveball was good, but I had a little trouble with fastball command,” he said. “I fell behind a lot of guys, and when you’re coming back they know you’re coming back with the fastball.
“The slider was good at times — there were a few that weren’t so good — but I guess that’s the road to coming back.”
Gwinnett did not have many hard-hit balls against Zimmermann, who threw first-pitch strikes to 13 of 19 batters and had six 0-2 counts. But the 30-year-old right-hander said the next step in his return to the Tigers is uncertain.
“I hope [this is it],” Zimmermann said. “I’ll go back to Detroit tomorrow, sit down and figure out the next step. Hopefully, it’s in a Detroit uniform.”
Meanwhile, Martinez served as the Mud Hens’ designated hitter and went 1-for-5 in the game. Batting second, he followed Alex Presley’s leadoff double in the first inning with a single, setting up a run on a Steven Moya fielder’s choice.
Martinez struck out against Gwinnett’s Roberto Hernandez — whom many Indians fans remember as Fausto Carmona — in the second before grounding out in the fourth.
“I want to get my timing back, and I want to make sure there aren’t any activities that make it act up,” said Martinez, who fractured his right elbow June 17 and has been on the Detroit disabled list since. “I just want to get back in the swing of things.
“I want to go back out there every day and play — and not have it hurt.”
The 28-year-old outfielder, who has gone 5-for-13 (.385) in his first three games with the Mud Hens, was not upset that he served as the DH rather than playing right field, his usual position with the Tigers.
“I could have played in the outfield, but there’s no real need for it,” Martinez said. “The most important thing is to get my timing back, because I haven’t faced live pitching in six weeks.
“If we can protect it to where I’m not throwing or running into a wall to hurt it, that’s a good thing.”
Martinez said he expects to stay with the Mud Hens long enough to play a few games in the outfield before returning to Detroit.
“I think it will be beneficial to play in the outfield,” he said. “If I play a few games, make a few throws, and realize it feels great, then let’s go.
“Throwing is the least of my worries.”
The Hens snapped a five-game losing streak Friday thanks to a pair of two-run innings against Hernandez. In the second inning, JaCoby Jones led off with a single, took second on a sacrifice by Dixon Machado before moving to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a single by John Hicks.
Hicks stole second and then took third on a throwing error before coming home on a bunt single by Argenis Diaz.
In the fourth inning, Hicks singled, raced to third on a hit-and-run single by Diaz, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Presley.
Casey McGehee scored Diaz with a two-out double to left-center, his International League-leading 33rd double this year.
There was a one hour, 48-minute delay with one out in the top of the sixth inning, and the Hens finished the scoring with a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Huffman.
NOTES: Before the game, the Mud Hens added RHP Joe Jimenez from Double-A Erie. To make room for Jimenez on the roster, Toledo sent LHP Joe Mantiply to the SeaWolves. … The Hens also put C Miguel Gonzalez on the disabled list and replaced him with C Drew Longley from Hi-A Lakeland. … The Tigers signed LHP Cesar Ramos to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Mud Hens. Ramos pitched for Texas this year, and also has major league experience with San Diego, Tampa Bay, and the Los Angeles Angels.
Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
First Published July 30, 2016, 4:43 a.m.
