The Detroit Tigers received a favorable report on left-hander David Price’s hamstring injury, but the news was not as good for catcher Alex Avila.
While Price appears unlikely to miss significant time, Avila was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, because of a loose body in his left knee. Avila probably will need arthroscopic surgery, the Detroit Free Press reported, and that would sideline him for two to six weeks.
The knee injury is unrelated to the right forearm contusion that kept Avila out of Friday’s game.
“He had the forearm thing, so we scratched him and I hadn’t heard anything about the knee,” said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, according to the Free Press. “I didn’t know anything about the knee until that conversation with Kevin (Rand, athletic trainer). Then during the game he told me what the MRI results were.”
Avila said his knee has been bothering him for few weeks, but he did not know how the injury occurred.
“It affects me getting out of a chair,” he said. “So, it’s been pretty painful for the past few weeks. Some days it’s been difficult just to walk around. I knew there was something probably a little more serious.”
Avila plans to get a second opinion before deciding whether to have surgery.
Avila is batting .200 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 22 games.
The Tigers called up catcher Bryan Holaday from Triple-A Toledo. He was the team’s No. 2 catcher last season. Rookie James McCann will be the No. 1 catcher in Avila’s absence.
Price’s injury appears to be less severe. He left Friday’s game in the seventh inning after stepping on a bat while backing up home plate. However, an MRI exam revealed he has suffered only a mild hamstring strain.
Price was not be placed on the disabled list, and the Tigers will monitor Price’s progress over the weekend. They will wait until early next week to determine when his next start will be, according to MLB.com. It seems unlikely at this point that he will miss more than one start, and it’s possible he may not miss any.
Price is 3-1 with a 3.30 ERA this season.