DETROIT -- It started out as a rehab assignment. It ended up being a three-month stay in Triple-A Toledo for JaCoby Jones.
Back with the Detroit Tigers for the first time since he was hit in mouth by a fastball and sent to the disabled list, Jones harbors no bitterness about his demotion.
"I was scuffling. Strikeouts were coming in bunches and I wasn't helping the team offensively," he said Saturday.
Strikeouts were still an issue in Toledo, which is one reason he didn't get a promotion earlier.
The other reason? Former LSU teammate Mikie Mahtook, who has seized a starting job and become one of the most consistent hitters on the club.