Ordonez may rehab in Toledo next week

6/25/2005

If everything goes well, Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish may have another outfielder on his roster Monday.

Magglio Ordonez, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract with Detroit this off-season, is working out with the Tigers in Arizona this weekend. If there are no setbacks in his rehab from hernia surgery, he may come to Fifth Third Field for a minor league rehab assignment Monday.

Yesterday Tiger manager Alan Trammell refused to set a date for Ordonez to begin rehab.

"We'll see," Trammell said when asked if Ordonez would come to Toledo Monday. "We're going to get through this weekend. I'm not ready to make that statement. But I'm very encouraged by his progress."

Ordonez was 0-for-10 in three early-season games with the Tigers before suffering a hernia that required surgery April 27. Trammell said Ordonez looks comfortable at the plate in batting practice, but the goal is for Ordonez to play in the field too.

"In watching him take batting prac-tice, I know he's ready to go on to the next step," Trammell said . "But we want to make sure. We're not looking for a DH. We want him to play in the field."

Yesterday Ordonez took early batting practice with the Tigers as well as regular batting practice and reported no problems.

Parrish said he hasn't heard anything about Ordonez joining the team, but he would welcome the four-time All-Star.

"I could put him in [the lineup] - I think I can find a spot," Parrish said.

The Tigers will look for Ordonez to play in back-to-back games in Toledo before activating him. The former White Sox outfielder played in only 52 games with Chicago last season because of problems with his left knee.

He played in 42 games before suffering a torn meniscus May 26 that required surgery; he returned to action July 9 and played in just 10 games before going back on the disabled list July 22 because of bone marrow edema that ended his season.

Last year he batted .292 with nine homers and 37 RBIs, breaking a string of five consecutive seasons in which he hit at least 29 home runs and drove in 99 runs or more.

- John Wagner