Lakeland, FL (My Sportsbook) - The Detroit Tigers have sent pitcher Steve Avery to their minor league camp. Avery is trying to come back after recovering from shoulder surgery performed in 1999. The veteran lefthander has not pitched in the majors since the '99 season when he made 19 starts with Cincinnati. "The arm strength is definitely not there," said Tigers manager Alan Trammell. The Tigers are hoping Avery will accept the demotion and try to work his way back to the majors as a reliever. "As a starter, it's still a long shot," Trammell added. "There's a good chance in our opinion that if he gets back to the major leagues it's in the pen." Avery has been a starter throughout his major league career. He was a first- round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 1988 draft and joined the parent club in 1990. The 32-year-old was the MVP of the 1991 National League Championship Series and appeared in the World Series four times with the Braves. In 18 career post-season games, Avery has compiled a 6-4 record with a 2.90 ERA. Avery's most productive season came in Atlanta in 1993 when he was 18-6 with a 2.94 ERA. For his career, which also included a two-year stint in Boston, Avery is 94-83 and has a 4.15 ERA in 278 major league games. The Tigers also sent lefthander Andy Van Hekken to Triple-A Toledo and acquired righthander Chris Spurling from Atlanta for minor league pitcher Matt Coenen. |
