A day after Simon said he pitched hurt all season, Tigers' head trainer Kevin Rand clarified the situation by explaining Simon has patella tendinosis, a chronic knee condition the team knew about before they acquired him in trade, reports MLive.com. Patellar tendonosis is also known as jumper's knee.

EDGE Analysis

"If it was an injury, he wouldn't have been pitching with it," Rand said. "If it was a structural injury, he would not have been pitching." Simon had an up and down season, and after Friday's outing, he blamed the inconsistencies on the left knee issue. Specifically, he said it reduced his velocity at times and meant he couldn't keep the ball down with regularity. He's headed to free agency this offseason and this little tiff probably did him more harm than good. He returned to Detroit on Saturday to get a platelet-rich plasma injection, just as he did after pitching for the Reds last season.

Simon (13-12) gave up two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out one in Friday's loss to the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Simon had one of his better outings in recent months on Friday, registering just his fifth quality start in 17 tries since July 1. After having a solid but unspectacular first three months of the season, registering a 3.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 6.6 K/9, the veteran fell hard during the season's second half with a 6.31 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 4.80 K/9.

Simon (13-11) surrendered eight hits, four earned runs and a walk in eight innings in a 6-2 loss to the Twins. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Simon actually rebounded nicely from one of his worst starts of the season to post his second-longest outing of 2015. Among the positives for the veteran right-hander on Saturday were the fact that he did not yield any gopher balls and that he only surrendered one walk, while throwing 75 of his 111 pitches for strikes. In spite of the generally strong performance, Simon took the loss, reaching double figures in that category for the second consecutive season. His current 1.47 WHIP is also the third highest of his career, while his 3.37 BB/9 rate is his highest since 2010.

Simon allowed 13 hits, three walks and eight earned runs in 4.1 innings of Sunday's loss to the Royals. He struck out three and three of those hits were home runs. It's the sixth time since July 1 that he has given up at least six runs in a game.

EDGE Analysis

It was a forgettable outing for Simon who matched his career high in runs and earned runs (eight for both). And he was just two hits shy of matching his career high (or should we say, career worst) in hits allowed. He allowed the five of the first seven batters he faced to reach base and needed 26 pitches to get out of the first.

Simon earned his 13th win Tuesday against the Twins as he allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Simon has been brutal since July, and he still owns an awful 6.33 ERA and a 46:33 K:BB in 14 starts since then. The quality start was just Simon's third in that span. His ERA sits at 4.94 as his All-Star appearance last year looks like a one-hit wonder.

Simon (12-9) gutted out 6.2 innings Thursday, giving up five earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out five in a 7-5 loss to the Indians.

EDGE Analysis

Simon was susceptible to the long ball Thursday, giving up solo homers to Abraham Almonte and Michael Brantley. Despite throwing seven shutout innings in his previous outing, Simon has now allowed 19 earned runs in his last four outings. Simon frequently pitches to contact, leading to hazardous results when his control eludes him. The 34-year-old will look to rebound against the Twins on Tuesday.

Simon (12-9) blanked the Indians over seven innings in Saturday's 6-0 defeat, surrendering two hits and four walks. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

After surrendering 14 earned runs over 9.1 innings in his two previous starts, the good Simon made an appearance at Comerica Park on Saturday, blanking Cleveland for the second consecutive time. The 34-year-old has exemplified the "when he's good, he's really good" adage this season, having surrendered only five hits in 24 shutout innings over the three games in 2015 where's he's gone at least seven innings without giving up a run. A key factor in Saturday's impressive outing was Simon's ability to keep the ball in the park after surrendering four gopher balls to the Blue Jays on Aug. 30. Walks continue to be a pervasive problem for veteran right-hander however, with the four free passes he surrendered on Saturday bringing his season total to 59 in just over 153 innings pitched. Simon's control problems undoubtedly play a key factor in the mistrust his owners have each time he takes the mound.

Simon took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Saturday and finished with just two hits allowed in seven innings against Cleveland. He gave up four walks and struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

Simon threw 112 pitches, 68 of which were strikes. It was a complete about-face from his start last Sunday, when he gave up a career-high four homers. The effort was a great rebound from his previous two outings -- he had dropped two straight and given up 14 runs in just 9.1 innings.

Simon (11-9) took the loss Sunday against the Blue Jays, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks with a hit batsman while striking out two over five innings.

EDGE Analysis

Simon was bombed for four homers in the first four innings and fell behind 6-0 in a game the Tigers were blown out in. He's now given up at least four runs in five of his last six starts, moving his ERA to 5.09. He'll make his next start Saturday against Cleveland.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Alfredo Simon will start Saturday against the Boston Red Sox after recovering from a groin injury, according to the team's official website. Simon allowed just one run over six innings in his last start against the Boston Red Sox on July 25.