Andy Dirks (intercostal strain) could return to game action Tuesday. Dirks was scratched from Sunday's game with a mild left intercostal strain, but he was feeling much better Monday. The 27-year-old is expected to open 2013 as the Tigers' starting left fielder.

Andy Dirks was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League game with a "mild" left intercostal strain. MLB.com's Jason Beck says Dirks was removed as precautionary measure, so the injury isn't a major concern. Quintin Berry has replaced him in the lineup.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Thursday that Andy Dirks will likely start in left field on Opening Day against the Twins. Dirks will bat sixth, assuming the Twins don't start a left-hander. The 27-year-old batted .322/.370/.487 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and an .857 OPS last season and should be worth owning in deeper mixed leagues, even if he ends up in a platoon.

During Torii Hunter's introductory press conference on Friday, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski hinted that they may still be looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder to platoon with Andy Dirks in left field. The Tigers aren't sure whether or not Dirks is an everyday player, and would like to find an option to platoon against left-handed hitting. While they have Avisail Garcia and Nick Castellanos waiting on the farm, they view both as future everyday players, not platoon options in 2013.

Andy Dirks is starting in right field and batting sixth in Sunday's World Series Game 4. Quintin Berry is playing left field and hitting second, while Delmon Young is in the DH spot and Omar Infante is at the bottom of the order. It's manager Jim Leyland's regular lineup versus right-handed pitching. The Tigers will square off against Matt Cain as they try to stay alive.

Tigers activated OF Andy Dirks from the 15-day disabled list. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Dirks receives, as Quintin Berry has provided an occasional spark for the Tigers but is batting just .246/.310/.308 in the second half. Dirks was hitting .328/.379/.515 with four homers in 37 games before going on the DL back in late May, so he certainly deserves to see plenty of starts.

Andy Dirks (Achilles) could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. Dirks hoped to begin a rehab stint this week, but he was held back a bit after experiencing some more soreness following a series of workout on Tuesday. Barring any further setbacks, he's now looking a return in the early part of August.

Andy Dirks (Achilles) could begin a rehab assignment this week. Dirks is improving and will be evaluated Monday in Detroit before an official decision regarding his rehab is made. If he is able to start a rehab assignment this week, a return before the end of the month seems likely.

Andy Dirks (Achilles) is still wearing a walking boot. Dirks is currently in shut-down mode as he waits for his right Achilles tendon to heal. "You strain a muscle is one thing; it heals faster because of the blood flow," said Dirks. "In a tendon, especially a big tendon -- tendons take longer to heal. It's tough to put a time frame on it. I'm not doing anything now. It's healing in there and it's going to be all right." The 26-year-old outfielder has already been sidelined for a month and it's now likely that his absence will stretch well into the second half.

Andy Dirks (Achilles) is scheduled to be re-examined Friday. If everything checks out OK, he could be cleared to resume some activities. Dirks has been sidelined for nearly a month now due to right Achilles tendinitis and will have to make quick progress in order to return before the All-Star break.