The Tigers can’t wait any longer, can’t keep hoping their veteran reliever figures it out. Francisco Rodriguez might still have a spot on this team but it can’t be as the closer, not now, not for a while, maybe not forever.
K-Rod was KO’d for the second straight game Sunday, and after serving up a walk-off home run to Oakland’s Ryon Healy, Rodriguez might have walked off the mound for the final time in that situation. Brad Ausmus won’t publicly say his closer lost his job, but it’s the only logical conclusion, especially with a viable option in Justin Wilson.