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Young Wants To Play Left Field But Might Be DH Instead

LF Delmon Young doesn't mind being Detroit's designated hitter on occasion, he just doesn't want it to be full time. "Not many guys like being a full-time DH," Young said recently. "They don't mind rotating every once in a while, but being in there full time can be mentally tough." He is slated to be the Tigers' primary left fielder but the way the Tigers' roster shapes up it appears as though manager Jim Leyland will mix and match his DH on a daily basis. "When we talk about who is going to be the designated hitter, it's whoever Jim Leyland deems the DH for that particular day," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "It could be Delmon, it could be Brennan Boesch. It could be Miguel (Cabrera) and it could be Prince (Fielder)." Young only had 24 at-bats as a DH last season. "Talking to the veterans like Victor (Martinez) and Jim Thome, they said it's quite different being stuck back there when you're so used to going back on the field," Young said. He pointed to the difficulties Adam Dunn had transitioning from outfielder to DH last year. Dunn hit a career low .159 for the Chicago White Sox. "Adam wasn't used to it last year and struggled because all your concentration is on hitting -- it makes it really tough," Young said. "When you go out on the field, you stay in a better rhythm. When you're stuck there sitting and then you go and hit, guys don't really like it. A day here and a day there, guys don't mind it because it gets you a day off your feet, especially in the first month of the season when it's freezing cold."

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