Tigers lineup: Miguel Cabrera will start after leaving Friday's win with back tightness

Miguel Cabrera is in the Detroit Tigers starting lineup today against the Chicago White Sox after leaving Friday's game in the seventh inning because of back tightness.

Cabrera will play first base and bat third as usual.

Nick Castellanos is back in the lineup at third base after getting Friday off, Cameron Maybin will bat second for the second straight game and Mike Aviles will play his third position in three days.

After playing second base Thursday against the Yankees and third base Friday vs. Chicago, Aviles will replace Justin Upton in left field.

Mike Pelfry will be on the mound for the Tigers in search of his first victory this season.

Detroit Tigers1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Cameron Maybin, CF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. Victor Martinez, DH
5. J.D. Martinez, RF
6. Nick Castellanos, 3B
7. James McCann, C
8. Mike Aviles, LF
9. Jose Iglesias, SS
Pitcher: RH Mike Pelfrey

Chicago White Sox1. Adam Eaton, RF
2. Tyler Saladino, SS
3. Todd Frazier, 3B
4. Jose Abreu, 1B
5. J.B. Shuck, CF
6. Brett Lawrie, 2B
7. Jimmy Rollins, DH
8. Jason Coats, LF
9. Dioner Navarro, C
Pitcher: LH Chris Sale.

5 things to watch: Can Detroit Tigers avoid cellar? will Miguel Cabrera win batting title?

DETROIT -- Here are five things to watch this week regarding the Detroit Tigers:

Can the Tigers avoid finishing in last place in the Central Division?
When the Tigers wrapped up their four-game series with the Chicago White Sox last week, they trailed the White Sox by just a half-game in the division standings. After the Tigers dropped two of three this weekend to the Twins, that same half-game gap remained. Will the Tigers play well enough during a season-ending six-game road trip to avoid finishing in last place in the division for the first time since 2008, when they finished with just 74 victories? It could very well come down to a (likely) season-ending three-game series in Chicago between the Tigers and White Sox. The White Sox are off Monday, so the Tigers could pull into a fourth-place tie with them with a win over the Texas Rangers.

Will outfielder J.D. Martinez hit 40 home runs, knock in 100 runs?
Martinez has 37 home runs and 98 RBIs with six games remaining. (It could be seven games if the Tigers are forced to make up their recently rained-out game in Cleveland.) Those are career highs for Martinez, who hit 23 and drove in 76 runs for the Tigers last season. Can Martinez get hot on the road and hit enough home runs to reach the 40-home run plateau? Will he reach 100 RBIs? Globe Life Park in Arlington and U.S. Cellular Field are certainly hitter friendly enough for Martinez, who has power to all fields like few other players in the majors.

Will Miguel Cabrera win the American League batting title?
Cabrera has been slumping at the plate a bit and has missed a few games for various reasons. But he has 498 plate appearances, which leaves him one short of qualifying for the batting title if the Tigers play 161 games and three short if they play 162. He clearly will get enough plate appearances. But will he hit well enough to hold off guys like Xander Bogaerts, Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley? Cabrera is hitting .337. Bogaerts is second at .324. Cabrera has some breathing room. If he went 0 for 18 from this point forward, he would finish at .323.

How will the bullpen fare during the final week of the season?The Tigers recently sent closer Bruce Rondon home due to a lack of effort. They have been very careful about using Alex Wilson based on his heavy workload this season. Buck Farmer only just recently came off the disabled list. The Tigers certainly have plenty of bodies in the bullpen, thanks to expanded rosters in September. But it has been a long season for a bullpen that has had a rough go of it. Will the Tigers try to limit anyone else's workload during the final road trip of the season?

Will Justin Verlander and Daniel Norris finish strong?
Verlander has been pitching very well for some time and has given the Tigers and their fans hope that he could be the ace of the staff again in 2016. Norris has pitched extremely well in two outings since returning from the disabled list. (His line in those two outings: 8.2IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 8SO.) General manager Al Avila has plenty of work to do in the offseason when it comes to the pitching staff, but Verlander and Norris might help give Tigers fans some hope that next season might not look like this one.

Detroit 7, Texas 4: Why the Tigers won

At Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas

■What happened: Justin Verlander threw six strong innings, allowing one run on six hits. Tyler Collins hit a three-run home run, his fourth of the season. Victor Martinez left the game with a sore left quadriceps. He will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Martinez went 2-for-3. Former Tiger Prince Fielder went 3-for-4 and hit his 23rd home run of the year. Neftali Feliz picked up his fourth save in seven opportunities with the Tigers.

■Starting off: Verlander was in command from the outset, retiring eight of the first 10 hitters before falling into and out of trouble in the fourth inning. In that frame, he allowed a lead-off solo home run to Fielder before loading the bases on two hits and a walk but worked his way out of the jam with a popout and two strikeouts. "I really had to exhaust some pitches and some energy in that one inning and get out of it and keep us in the ballgame and that was really the turning point in the game," Verlander said. He struck out five and walked two over 107 pitches.

■Injury update: Martinez left the game after hobbling from first-to-third on a Nick Castellanos double in the fifth inning. He stayed in the game and scored but was lifted afterwards. "The quad isn't entirely new," manager Brad Ausmus said. "It has acted up before but not enough to get him out of the game." He didn't know if was related to the knee soreness Martinez has battled throughout the year and said he would be surprised if he played on Tuesday.

■At the plate: Miguel Cabrera went 1-for-4 and recorded his 502nd plate appearance of the season, officially qualifying him for the batting title. Cabrera leads the major leagues with a .336 average. He drove in the game's first run on a bases-loaded walk. Collins' line drive home run to rightfield was the big blow. James McCann piled on in the fifth inning with a two-run single.

■Overheard: "In fact, I think I felt four more gray hairs pop in," Ausmus said about the ninth inning.

■Three stars: 1. Collins; 2. Verlander; 3. Fielder.

■Up next: Tuesday at Rangers.