"Before today's game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said it looked like Magglio Ordoñez will join the team Monday.

"Target for him, I think, is Monday, but I can't swear to that," Leyland said. "That's the target."

The only problem is that Ordoñez has become somewhat of a moving target.

The rightfielder, who is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo for right ankle weakness, told reporters in Toledo on Wednesday he was targeting a return to Detroit on Monday.

But one day earlier, Ordoñez told mlb.com he had hoped to return for tonight's game against Seattle, which kicked off an eight-game home stand.

Ordoñez was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Mud Hens' 2-0 loss to Gwinnett tonight. He's hitting .233 with Toledo.

Leyland admitted that if he had known Ordoñez would not return until next week, he would have kept catcher Omir Santos on the 25-man roster instead of sending him to Toledo on Tuesday.

Now Leyland plans to keep an eighth reliever, one more than usual, on the roster through the weekend.

Ordonez was hitting .172 when he went on the 15-day disabled May 11. Leyland expects Ordoñez to provide some offensive punch when he returns.

"So, hopefully, Magglio Ordoñez comes up and is close to what he's been as a productive offensive player," Leyland said, "and he'll be a big lift for us when it's all said and done — believe me. If he doesn't hit, that's a different story.""