Underdog.

"Guys like Donnie Kelly and John Wehner and Cangelosi … they're always the underdog," Leyland said Saturday. "They want it so bad. They're not great, but they're good enough, and they're always looking for jobs. I've always had a soft spot for guys like that."

Kelly, 31, went from valuable role player to pivotal figure in this series in the time it took the Tigers to assess their latest medical report. The Detroit outfield, already hurt by the loss of Brennan Boesch to a season-ending injury to his right thumb in August, is suddenly a portrait in attrition. Delmon Young is limited in the American League Championship series because of a strained left oblique, and on Saturday Magglio Ordonez re-aggravated an injury to his right ankle to the extent that he's done for the season.

As a lefty hitter, Kelly was destined to see sporadic action in the series. It was a given, for example, that he would start Game 3 against Texas righty Colby Lewis. Now, given the rampant carnage on the Detroit roster, who knows? The only certainty is, whatever the Tigers ask of him, Kelly will be ready.

"He would probably mow my lawn if I asked him," Leyland said.

Kelly's versatility knows no bounds. On June 29, he made his major league pitching debut -- retiring Mets outfielder Scott Hairston on a fly ball in the ninth inning of a 16-9 Tigers loss. Kelly pumped in two straight 86 mph fastballs before retiring Hairston on a 71 mph curve.

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GO TIGERS!