Detroit Tigers option Bruce Rondon to Triple-A

The Tigers recalled Luke Putnoken to fill in the the roster spot.

By Connor Moylan May 1, 2013, 9:00pm EDT

The Detroit Tigers demoted relief pitcher Bruce Rondon to Triple-A on Wednesday after he struggled in relief against the Minnesota Twins.

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Leyland called on Rondon with the Tigers trailing the 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning. He quickly let the game get out of control, allowing a triple, single and two walks while only recording one out. Rondon ended up being tagged with two earned runs in the inning.

The 22 year-old righthander can throw hard, but his 101 mph fastball is very straight and hittable. Rondon threw 17 pitches in his appearance and forced zero swinging strikes against Minnesota. Rondon heads back to Triple-A with an 11.57 ERA after three appearances.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that he could not find enough work for Rondon with Jose Valverde closing games for Detroit. Leyland said that he wants Rondon to gain more experience closing games in Triple-A and that he hopes the reliever makes some adjustments during his time in the minor leagues.

Right-handed reliever Luke Putnoken will replace Rondon in the Tigers' bullpen. Putnoken made 12 appearances for Detroit last season, posting a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings of work. Putnoken has started for most of his minor-league career, and can be used as a long reliever if necessary.