The Detroit Tigers take on the Washington Nationals tonight at 6 PM, televised on Fox Sports Detroit. Jim Leyland has said that starters will go 7 innings, suggesting that the lineup he runs out today will most likely be his opening day lineup, with the probable exception of Miguel Cabrera. It will give fans a good opportunity to see the regulars play as a group for nearly an entire 9 inning game.

Several things to note –

1) It was announced today that Andy Oliver has been assigned to Triple A Toledo, meaning the battle for the 5th spot in the rotation is down to rookie Drew Smyly and Duane Below, who made several starts for the Tigers last year. Or, it is still entirely possible that the club could be looking for a trade to fill in that final spot.

2) While Brandon Inge is a fan favorite, it is hard to justify his spot in the team at this point. Leyland has openly said that Danny Worth provides more value with his above average defensive ability at several infield positions, and Inge probably did himself no favors with his critical view of Cabrera playing 3rd base. Plus, he is batting below the Mendoza line this spring (.184), even though Leyland is sticking with his belief that Inge is hitting the ball better than his average would indicate. In my opinion, if you are not getting on base, scoring runs or driving in runs, you do not provide an abundance of value to a major league club, especially one of Detroit’s caliber.

3) I find it hard to believe that Cabrera would not be in uniform opening day (next Thursday at 1 PM vs. the Boston Red Sox). He has missed over a week now with the fractured orbital bone, but was back on the field yesterday, taking batting practice and grounders at third. Is the luck on Detroit’s side this season? A pair of sunglasses protected Detroit’s $152 million man. Let’s hope that the bad luck of year’s past with injuries and collapses down the stretch does not creep into the picture this season.