Ron Gardenhire didn't expect to see JaCoby Jones in the Tigers clubhouse Thursday morning. Jones didn't expect to be there himself. He had just arrived in Toledo from Lakeland the day prior, ready to continue his rehab assignment in Triple-A.
Jones was on his way to the airport Thursday morning to meet the Mud Hens in Virginia when he got a surprise phone call from Al Avila.
"He told me I was coming back up here. I was like, 'Alright, cool,'" said Jones. "I wasn’t expecting it. I thought I was going to play a few more games in Triple-A."
One was all he needed. He went 2-5 at the plate Wednesday night, and the Tigers, off to a surprising 8-4 start, decided the time was now to recall their starting centerfielder.
Jones, who sprained his left shoulder toward the end of spring training and sat out two weeks, will man center and hit ninth Thursday afternoon versus the Indians.
"Forces beyond me said, 'Right now,'" said Gardenhire, asked about the quick call-up. "And that’s fine. Let’s do this."
Jones, per usual, said he'll be taking no precautions in the field.
He said their quick start increased his itch to return.
"Sitting on the couch watching the guys win all those games and going on the hot streak and playing well, I wanted to be back so bad," said Jones.
He was all smiles Thursday morning, especially when he ran into Jordan Zimmerman on his way to the field to get loose.
"You're late," said Zimmermann, greeting him with a handshake. "That's 500 bucks."
Now that he's back, how much can he help this team?
"A lot," he said. "I bring a lot to the table as far as defense and baserunning, and when I get my offense going it’s going to be fun. I can help them out in a lot of ways."
The offense is always the key for Jones, who hit just .199 in 129 games last season. He'll have to improve upon that to hold down a spot in the everyday lineup. He's focused on hitting more ground balls this season to put his speed to better use.
The numbers weren't any better in spring training, but Jones said he began to feel more comfortable at the plate during his six-game rehab assignment. Now ne needs to show it in the bigs.
To make room on the roster for Jones, the Tigers designated for assignment Mikie Mahtook, Jones' longtime teammate. Mahtook was hitless in 23 at-bats this season.
"It’s tough. Mikie’s a good friend of mine, but that's the business we're in," said Jones. "I wish him all the best."