Major League Baseball

Ordonez returning to Detroit lineup

Published Jun. 23, 2009 9:08 p.m. ET

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Magglio Ordonez will return to the Detroit Tigers lineup Tuesday after missing the past four games.




He is listed on the lineup posted in the Tigers clubhouse, batting seventh and playing right field for the series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

Ordonez has struggled this season, batting .273 with two home runs in 216 at-bats. Tigers manager Jim Leyland benched him "indefinitely" last week and Detroit won all four games without Ordonez while averaging seven runs per game.

The Tigers (38-31) remain in first place in the weak AL Central despite Ordonez's lack of production. But they aren't ready to give up on him. The 35-year-old Venezuelan is a six-time All-Star who led the AL in batting two seasons ago.

Leyland didn't specify how long Ordonez will remain in the lineup.

"It's important for him to produce," Leyland said. "I'm going to try to get Magglio going."

Ordonez's first assignment: Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano.

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