Just as it looked like Will Vest might run away with the closer’s role, Kahnle seems back in position now. He probably would have gotten the call Tuesday, when Vest was used in the sixth inning and gave up three runs in blowing a lead. Since he didn’t end up pitching in that loss, he was available to get four outs today. Kahnle should be effective enough to close, but there are workload concerns for a 35-year-old reliever who last put in a full season six years ago. We’d take Vest over him for the rest of the season, but if Kahnle was dropped in your league, he’s a decent enough option for now.

This didn’t wind up being a save situation, but if it had turned into one, it looks like Will Vest, who pitched a scoreless ninth with a 6-0 lead, would have gotten the nod over Kahnle. Vest also has the Tigers’ last two saves, though they both came on days that Kahnle was likely unavailable. Kahnle is 4-for-5 saving games, but he does make more sense as a setup man, since a structured workload probably suits him best at age 35.

It didn’t look like Kahnle would be needed in this one — especially after recording the final six outs on Thursday night — as the Tigers carried a 7-1 lead into the ninth inning. When Kenta Maeda gave up a run though and loaded the bases with one out, Tigers’ skipper A.J. Hinch went to his stopper to get him out of trouble. Kahnle issued a walk to Michael Massey to force in a run but bounced back to get Cavan Biggio on strikes and Drew Waters on a line drive to right field to end it. He has converted each of his first four save chances while posting a 1.17 ERA and a 6/1 K/BB ratio over 7 2/3 innings.

It looked as though Tigers’ skipper A.J. Hinch had wanted to save Kahnle for the ninth inning, but he was called upon earlier after Beau Brieske allowed a run to score and had two men on and no one out in the eighth. Kahnle then needed just five pitches to escape trouble — getting Hunter Renfroe to ground into a double play and Drew Waters to ground out to shortstop. He then returned for the ninth where he worked a scoreless inning to close it out. People keep saying that the Tigers’ bullpen has been a mess, but those truly paying attention have seen that Kahnle has been operating as a traditional closer since the first weekend of the season. He has made good on each of his first three save chances while posting a 1.29 ERA and 5/0 K/BB ratio over seven innings.