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The Detroit Tigers are on the verge of calling up catcher Bryan Holaday from Triple-A, reports James Schmehl of mlive.com. If this report is accurate, Schmehl believes that Tigers catcher Alex Avila is likely headed to the 15-day disabled list.
Avila had been out of the Tigers lineup since June 1 while dealing with a tight hamstring. In sitting Avila, the Tigers were hoping the backstop would be able to avoid an extended absence.
Avila was back in the lineup for the Tigers last night, but didn’t make it past the fifth inning before he was lifted for backup catcher Gerald Laird. Avila was hobbling noticeably after throwing out Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo at second base to end the fifth, but the catcher later said his hamstring was tight for most of the game.
Over his 44 games and 140 at-bats this season, Avila has hit at a clip of .250/.338/.429 with 14 extra-base hits and 20 RBIs.
Holaday’s next major league appearance will be his first, as the 24-year-old has spent the past three seasons in the Tigers farm system after being taken in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. This season for the Tigers Triple-A affiliate, Holaday has maintained an OPS of .627 with seven extra-base hits and 10 RBIs.