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Manager Ron Gardenhire said he expects Zimmermann (elbow) to make his second rehab start Thursday or Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Zimmermann joined High-A Lakeland over the weekend for his first competitive action since April 25, taking the hill for Saturday's rain-shortened outing. Even if the weather hadn't intervened, Zimmermann may not have stayed in the contest much longer after giving up two runs on three hits over 2.2 innings (35 pitches). Gardenhire noted that Zimmermann didn't feel comfortable with his mechanics, so the Tigers will likely need to see him bump up his pitch count in his next rehab outing while showing improved command before a potential return to the big-league rotation is entertained. In a best-case scenario, Zimmermann could be activated from the 10-day injured list as soon as next week.
