"Tuesday's 4-2 win over the New York Yankees may have been a breakthrough night for a few players in the Detroit Tigers' lineup.

Austin Jackson went 2-for-5 to almost get his batting average to .200. Scott Sizemore had a stellar season debut with a 3-for-4 night. And Magglio Ordonez may have finally figured out how to hit on his aching right ankle.

Ordonez came into Tuesday's game with two hits in his last 27 at-bats. His batting average was .151. Even more of a concern was his slugging percentage of .164, which showed that Ordonez was only hitting singles. That lack of production, let alone extra-base power, was a major reason that the top three of the Tigers' batting order was struggling so badly and costing the team chances at scoring runs.

But with Tuesday's 2-for-4 performance, Ordonez began to look as if he might be able to make a contribution to the Tigers' lineup. Not only did he drive in Detroit's first run of the ballgame (only his second RBI of the season, which is as many as Will Rhymes had), but Ordonez turned on a pitch and pulled it to left field for his second hit of the night. That would seem to back up Jim Leyland's contention that bat speed hasn't been Ordonez's problem.

No, that slow-to-heal right ankle is the issue. Ordonez can't push off his back leg when he swings, preventing him from generating any power. Without the lower half of his body providing any push, Ordonez is reduced to hitting with just his arms. Though his talent and experience might be able to get him a couple of hits under such circumstances, not being able to hit the ball in the air or into an outfield gap will only get him so far.

Ordonez is almost literally half a player right now (even by his own admission). So why do the Tigers have him in their lineup?

Leyland may have felt as if he had no choice but to keep playing Ordonez, as the Tigers have desperately needed anyone (besides Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila) to generate some offense. And with Victor Martinez on the disabled list for the past two weeks, there's not only been an opening in the lineup, but the Tigers could bat Ordonez without having to put him in the field with that bad ankle."