Huff trying to work out of hitting slump

DETROIT -- Aubrey Huff has been around the game long enough to know that his big hit with the Tigers could be an at-bat away. That doesn't make his wait for it any easier.

Two weeks after Huff made his Tigers debut -- after coming over in a trade from the Orioles -- the veteran slugger who was acquired to add a jolt to Detroit's inconsistent offense could use a spark himself. He entered Tuesday's series opener against the Indians with a 3-for-34 (.088) batting clip since the move, part of a .191 (17-for-89) slump in August that began with Baltimore.

Huff is batting .203 (29-for-143) since the All-Star break, and he's at risk for registering the lowest batting average of his career -- below the .248 mark he had during his first full season in 2001.

If it was a matter of terrible swings, he'd be beating himself up. The fact that he feels like he's making quality swings makes it somewhat easier.

Then again, as a designated hitter, he has a lot of time to think about it.

"When you're a DH and you're not hitting," Huff said, "and you're sitting for 45 minutes between at-bats, it can be tough."

However, it could be worse if he were sitting for entire games.

That isn't likely to happen. Detroit manager Jim Leyland talked after Monday's loss as though he might sit Huff for a game or two to get him away from some of the pressure. Come Tuesday, however, he thought better of it, putting Huff back in the lineup against Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco in his Major League debut. He did, however, drop Huff from fifth in the order to sixth, the first time Huff has started anywhere other than fifth in his brief Tigers tenure.

After taking on Cleveland lefty Aaron Laffey on Wednesday, the Tigers will face at least three straight right-handed starters, so Huff is likely to get plenty of chances to snap out of it. He's an experienced hitter in a division race and a left-handed hitter to balance out the lineup.



(mlb.com)