The Tigers have placed first baseman Miguel Cabrera on the 15-day disabled
list with a Grade 3 calf strain, and he will miss six weeks, according to
Jason Beck of MLB.com (Twitter links). They’ve selected the contract of
infielder Jefry Marte from Triple-A Toledo to take his place on the active
roster.
Obviously, the injury represents a significant blow to the Tigers, who are
trying to hold on against the Royals and Twins in the AL Central. Cabrera
currently leads the American League in batting average (.350), on-base
percentage (.456) and OPS (1.034).
The 32-year-old Cabrera has been one of baseball’s most durable players
throughout his career, appearing in 148 or more games in every season since
2004. Remarkably, this will be his first career stint on the disabled list.
“When Miggy says he can’t play, you know it’s serious,” says Tigers
manager Brad Ausmus, via MLive.com’s James Schmehl. “Miggy plays through
anything.”
It’s unclear how the Tigers will replace Cabrera in their lineup. Marte,
formerly a prospect in the Mets organization, hit a solid .271/.337/.497 for
Toledo while playing third base and shortstop, although he’s also played
first base on occasion in the past. Alex Avila and Andrew Romine are also
currently on the Tigers’ active roster and have played first base this
season. Avila, who recently returned from the disabled list himself, will
start at first base today, Schmehl tweets.