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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is getting closer to making a return to the rotation after a live batting practice session on Saturday.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Rodriguez (finger) felt "fantastic" following his live batting practice session Saturday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

ANALYSIS
Rodriguez threw about 50 pitches over three simulated innings during Saturday's session, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. There didn't seem to be any issues with Rodriguez's performance, so now the next step figures to be a rehab assignment before potentially returning to Detroit's rotation in early July.

That's certainly big news for a Tigers team that is trying to hang around in the American League Central race. While Detroit is just 32-42, they are only 5.5 games back in the mediocre division.

Rodriguez is the ace of the staff after signing a five-year deal before the 2022 season. 

He is 4-4 with a 2.13 ERA in 67.2 innings this year. He's struck out 67 batters and has a WHIP of less than 1 (0.975).

He signed that $77 million contract in Detroit after spending the 2015-2021 years with the Boston Red Sox. He helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, going 13-5 that year.

He won 19 games in the 2019 season.

The Tigers will take on the first-place Minnesota Twins on Saturday night. Reese Olson (0-2, 5.59 ERA) will take the hill for the Tigers while Pablo Lopez (3-4, 4.40 ERA) is on the bump for the visitors.

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