Regular left fielder Carlos Guillen served as the Tigers' designated hitter for the season opener Monday night, and Marcus Thames was expected to be in that spot for Tuesday's second game of the year.
"This stuff is really tough on Guillen's hamstring," Leyland said of the artificial playing surface in the Rogers Centre, Toronto's home park. "He's our left fielder, but this was a no-brainer. We start on this stuff, and we'll get it out of the way early, and we won't have to worry about it anymore. I'm not going to take any chances." Guillen will be the DH in one more game this series, Leyland said, with right fielder Magglio Ordonez also DH'ing for a game.
"We're going to have probably two or three different DHs, two more for sure in this series," Leyland said. "That's good. That's that flexibility we're talking about."
The fourth outfielder, Josh Anderson, started in left in the opener, and Leyland plans to have his utility infielder, Ramon Santiago, start at second and short in the series.
Catcher Matt Treanor will also play in one game, probably Thursday's afternoon contest, which follows a night game.
Infielder/outfielder Jeff Larish also is expected to see action in one game, possibly Wednesday against the other right-hander the Blue Jays will start in the four-game set.
BLUE JAYS 12, TIGERS 5: RHP Justin Verlander thought he had his problems from last year figured out this spring. On opening night, it wasn't so. Toronto roughed up Verlander for four runs with two out and nobody on in the first and scored eight runs in 3 2/3 innings overall.
CF Curtis Granderson had a solo home run and 3B Brandon Inge a two-run opposite-field home run for most of the Tigers' offense.
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