Pinch-hitting for just the second time this season, Alex Avila hit a game-tying homer in the ninth Wednesday against the White Sox. After driving in just one run in July, Avila has bounced back with nine homers and 30 RBI in 133 at-bats since the beginning of August. He's the game's best offensive catcher this year.

Alex Avila is not in the Tigers' starting lineup Wednesday afternoon against the White Sox. He'll take a seat with the quick turnaround. Austin Jackson and Jhonny Peralta will also get scheduled days off.

Alex Avila is not in the Tigers' starting lineup Thursday afternoon against the Rays. As expected, he'll take a seat with the arrival of Omir Santos. It's a well-deserved rest for Avila, who has started 18 straight games.

Alex Avila is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rangers. That means that Victor Martinez will catch Brad Penny again, despite their heated argument on the mound last week against the Angels. Miguel Cabrera will serve as the designated hitter Thursday while Don Kelly plays first base.

Alex Avila was 0-for-3 with a couple of strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the White Sox. Avila is in the midst of a mid-season slump, hitting only 10-for-57 (.175) with zero home runs in July. Fatigue could be a factor, as he has started 83 of 103 games this season.

Alex Avila returned to action on Friday June 24.

Alex Avila is sitting out Wednesday's game after fouling a ball off his right shin in Tuesday's game. "I've got a baseball in my leg right now," he said. Avila is likely to return to the lineup Friday following Thursday's off day. Victor Martinez will get the start behind the plate.

Alex Avila is not in Monday's lineup against the Dodgers. He's just getting the day off. Tigers manager Jim Leyland will start Victor Martinez behind the dish and Danny Worth at the hot corner Monday.

Alex Avila will make his first major league start at third base Friday against the Rockies. Leyland has discussed the plan throughout the week, as it allows him to have Avila, Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera in the lineup at the same time while playing under National League rules. This doesn't have a tremendous amount of fantasy impact, as Avila likely won't play there enough to gain eligibility in most formats.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he'll "probably" start Alex Avila at third base Friday in the interleague matchup against the Rockies. "I'm probably going to play Avila at third base, I'm not sure," Leyland said. The manager wants to keep both Victor Martinez's and Avila's bats in the lineup in the National League park, and this is the best solution. Avila began his college career at third base before switching to catcher, so the position isn't foreign to him. "It won't be anything new for me," Avila said. "Just go out there and see what happens."