CLEVELAND – Miguel Cabrera’s compact and strong swing has not been the same this season.
The Detroit Tigers goaltender was placed on the 10-day injury list due to a biceps sprain that has affected the Venezuelan during the start of the season.
Cabrera, who is close to 500 homers and other milestones in his career, defended first base in Saturday’s 11-3 loss to the Indians. He went 3-0 on the plate before being replaced by an emerging in the ninth inning.
Manager AJ Hinch reported on Sunday that Cabrera had been complaining for some time and that he heard “something” in the iron swing in the seventh inning.
Hinch added that he had realized that Cabrera had altered the mechanics of his swing, without letting go of a helping hand after completing it, and that the prudent thing was to slow it down before the injury became more serious.
“I told him after the game that I didn’t want him to be playing with discomfort, to be examined and we put him on the injured list to resolve this early,” Hinch said.
Hinch said the 11-time “All Star” will be tested Sunday in Cleveland. The Tigers will also consult with their doctors in Detroit. At this moment.
At this point, he said the plan is for the two-time Most Valuable Player award winner to stay with the team, accompanying them to Houston.
Cabrera, 37, has 488 home runs in his career and started weak in 2021. He barely batted for 125 (3 hits in 24 innings), with one homer-three driven in seven games.
Hinch was concerned about Cabrera’s injury, but has noted that he will not rush into giving a judgment until the team receives more information.
“I don’t like that he altered the swing to compensate,” Hinch said. “This irritated me and made me feel bad that I had to be struggling with pain. It wasn’t a very sharp pain, but we need to find answers to understand how this affects their confidence and comfort.”
Cabrera has accumulated 2,869 hits in his career and is four short of matching Babe Ruth on the historic list. It is taken for granted that he climbs other lists before his retirement.
To replace Cabrera, the Tigers promoted Venezuelan fielder Renato Núñez.
Cabrera’s injury is the second significant loss suffered by the Tigers over the weekend. His Colombian opener Julio Tehran was placed on the list of injuries on Saturday for a sprained shoulder and could be out of action for months. The team put him on the 60-day injury list Sunday.
Hinch said Tehran will undergo further tests, but that in the last 24 hours it has become clear that the right will be absent much longer than it initially anticipated.