Chicago @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2016 ) Chi. White Sox 1, Detroit 2

The Detroit Tigers received quite the power surge from one returning star on Wednesday and would love for another in Thursday afternoon's series finale against the visiting Chicago White Sox. Sidelined with a month-long absence due to a right neck strain, Jordan Zimmermann will make his much-awaited return on Thursday as the red-hot Tigers vie for their ninth straight win and a series sweep of their American League Central adversary.

Zimmermann would like to follow in the footsteps of J.D. Martinez, who returned from an elbow fracture to belt the first pitch he saw into the seats for a pinch-hit homer in Wednesday's 2-1 win. The 28-year-old Martinez, who will be making his first start since June 16, is 13-for-24 with two homers and nine RBIs and eight runs scored versus Chicago this season. While the Tigers have moved within two games of division-leading Cleveland, the White Sox have dropped three in a row and six of seven on their eight-game road trip. Veteran Justin Morneau homered for the second time in four outings on Wednesday to improve to 5-for-16 with two homers and four RBIs against Detroit this season.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Jose Quintana (8-8, 2.89 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (9-4, 3.95)

Quintana answered a disastrous June with an impressive July, posting a 3-0 mark with a 1.95 ERA in five starts. The 27-year-old Colombian settled for a pair of no-decisions in his last two outings, despite scattering three hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings versus Detroit on June 24. Quintana followed that up by permitting one run and striking out nine in 6 2/3 frames at Minnesota on Friday.

Zimmermann allowed just one run in a pair of rehab starts with Triple-A Toledo and will look to get back on track versus Chicago, against which the 30-year-old posted a pair of victories in June. Zimmermann allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 10-3 romp over the White Sox on June 3 before laboring through seven frames in an 11-8 win just 11 days later. The veteran likely will be on a pitch count Thursday after exiting following just 78 being thrown in his second rehab start with the Mud Hens.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler has four singles in this series and 18 hits total versus Chicago this season.

2. White Sox SS Tim Anderson is 0-for-9 with two strikeouts in this series after erupting for 10 hits in his previous two sets against the Tigers.

3. Tigers 3B Nick Castellanos had an RBI double on Wednesday, marking his ninth hit versus Chicago in 2016.

PREDICTION: Tigers 3, White Sox 1