When Jim Leyland took veteran outfield Magglio Ordonez out of Monday’s game, it was because he was in pain.

And it was his surgically-repaired ankle again.

Initial fears about the potential extent of the injury — including to the Achilles’ tendon — were eliminated by an MRI Monday evening that showed no structural damage.

Tigers trainer Kevin Rand said the discomfort was just from fluid from the bursa sac behind the Achilles’ tendon in Ordonez’s right ankle, a situation that will have to be monitored the more he plays this season.

“Something that we just have to treat symptomatically, and it’s a day-to-day thing,” Rand said Tuesday morning. “I’m sure when he was complaining of some of the tightness the other day, when we took him out, that’s probably what he had. The next day, he’s great, he feels great, and he was out and he was fine. It’s basically a day-to-day thing that we’ve got to work through. There will be some good days, and some not-so-good days.”

Until Ordonez can prove to Leyland that it’s a good day, however, he’ll probably be sitting on the bench beside the manager.

“Just going to wait and see until he thinks he’s OK to play, and really play probably throughout the game. That’s all you can do. There’s no sense in keep aggravating stuff. I’m sure he’ll get it quieted down. But I’m going to try to make sure it’s right,” said Leyland, noting that he had no way of being more specific about how long Ordonez is likely to be out.
“Once again, I hate to tell you guys something, then have him come in tomorrow, and everything’s perfect, and he feels like 100 percent. I don’t know the answer, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. So I’m just going to sit on it until we’re convinced, and he’s convinced. I mean, nobody can really tell you but an injured player. That’s just the way it is. I’m not a mind-reader, and I’m not a doctor. ... But if it hurts ... That’s why when I saw him come down the (dugout) steps, I took him out. It was hurting.”

With Ordonez out, birthday boy Brennan Boesch will be the designated hitter in Tuesday’s game, facing Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson. Alex Avila, however, will sit, with Victor Martinez catching Tigers starter Brad Penny.

“Boesch has hit OK against lefties, but if Magglio was right, he probably wouldn’t be in there today,” Leyland said.
“I think Alex is swinging good. You can look at that two ways: Some people will say, ‘he’s swinging real good — play him.’ Other people, like myself, will say, ‘Well, he’s swinging real good, why give him a real tough day where he might get out of a pretty good groove?’ You can look at that however you want to look at it.”

Ramon Santiago starts at second base in place of the struggling Will Rhymes (.182), while Casper Wells gets his second start of the season in right.

“I think we’ve got a pretty good, predominantly right-hand-hitting lineup. If they hit, it’s a good lineup, if they don’t, it’s not,” Leyland said. “That’s just the way it is. That’s as simple as ABC.”