LAKELAND, Fla. -- Bruce Rondon improved off of the field this spring. It was evident in the way he went about his business, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said throughout training camp, from the way he carried himself in the clubhouse to the way he prepared himself between appearances.
But that improvement wasn’t evident enough on the mound to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The right-handed reliever was optioned to Triple-A Toledo this afternoon.
In nine games this spring, he allowed six runs on 10 hits. He struck out 12 and walked three.
“He’s been a little up and down,” Ausmus said after Sunday’s loss to the Houston Astros, in which Rondon allowed four runs on three hits -- including two home runs -- and was unable to escape the seventh inning.