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(Sports Network) - Needless to say, the Texas Rangers are happy with the offseason trade that brought Josh Hamilton to town. They might want to have the one that sent Armando Galarraga packing back, though.

Galarraga faces his former club for the first time tonight, when the Detroit Tigers continue a three-game series with Texas at Rangers Ballpark.

The Rangers swapped pitcher Edinson Volquez for Hamilton over the winter, and although Volquez is making a name for himself in the National League with the Reds, Hamilton has been nothing short of outstanding for Texas this year. The MVP candidate is hitting .300 with 28 homers and an major-league best 114 RBI.

Texas, though, has a team earned run average of 5.41, worst in the majors. That number that might be better had it not made a small deal with Detroit in February, when the Rangers dealt Galarraga to the Tigers for minor league outfielder Michael Hernandez.

The move was made to add depth to the Tigers' farm system, but the right- handed Galarraga has instead gone 11-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 22 games with Detroit after posting a 6.23 ERA in three appearances (1 start) with the Rangers last year. Galarraga, 26, last pitched on Thursday, defeating Toronto behind eight innings of one-run ball and improving to 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA over his last five starts.

The Tigers, who trail the first-place White Sox by 10 1/2 games in the AL Central, will try to continue their hot swinging versus the Rangers tonight. Detroit has won all four matchups in the season series so far this year -- plating at least eight runs in all of them -- and six straight over Texas dating back to last season.

In Monday's opener, Curtis Granderson's two triples and four runs batted in helped give Kenny Rogers his first victory in five starts, as the Tigers came away with an 8-7 win.

Gary Sheffield had three hits, including a two-run homer, for Detroit, which had dropped five of seven coming into the game. The long ball was the 493rd of Sheffield's career, tying him with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 25th all- time.

Chris Davis was 3-for-4 while Michael Young and Frank Catalanotto drove in two runs apiece for Texas, which has dropped 10 of 12 and is now 10 1/2 games off the pace in the AL wild card race.

Texas' slim playoff hopes also took a major blow before yesterday's game, as All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler landed on the disabled list due to a sports hernia. Kinsler had a .319 average, 41 doubles, 71 RBI and 26 steals before going down with his injury, which will likely require season-ending surgery.

Vicente Padilla finally takes the hill tonight for the Rangers after having his start pushed back twice due muscle joint inflammation in his neck. Padilla hasn't pitched since August 9, when he allowed six runs on eight hits over four innings of a setback to Baltimore.

The 30-year-old righty has allowed five runs or more in four of his last seven outings and is 12-6 with a 4.85 ERA on the season. He is also 3-1 with a 4.03 ERA in five career starts versus Detroit, but that includes a loss in Motown on April 22. He gave up seven runs on that day, yielding homers to Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Ramon Santiago.