Tigers’ Cabrera looks for 2nd straight big game vs. Rays


Miguel Cabrera can’t play in the field, but he can still hit.

The Detroit Tigers veteran has a sore right knee, and following an MRI exam, doctors advised him not play first base anymore. But he can still do damage as a designated hitter, as evidenced by his grand slam off Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell on Tuesday.

Cabrera drove in five runs as Detroit snapped a 10-game home losing streak with a 9-6 victory in the series opener. The three-game series continues on Wednesday night.

The Tigers had four specialists look at Cabrera’s MRI, and the former American League MVP was relieved to learn he won’t require surgery or trip to the injured list. He didn’t play the last two games of a weekend series at Atlanta.

“I’ve been dealing with this for two months,” Cabrera told the Detroit News. “I know I can play with this, but in Atlanta I was worried something bad was going to come. That’s why I asked to check my knee and do an MRI. I wanted to make sure it was nothing big.”

The knee injury has turned him mainly into a singles hitter. Cabrera, who blasted 38 homers as recently as three seasons ago, has three long balls this season. His legs should be fresher by being a full-time designated hitter, though he’d rather play defense.

“It’s sad,” he said. “Really sad. The last few days I was thinking about that. I mean, it’s sad because I like to be in the field. … But I’ve been battling this for the last three years. It’s something I’ve got to do.”

Right-hander Spencer Turnbull (3-4, 2.84 ERA) will start on Wednesday for the Tigers. He won his last start on Friday at Atlanta, holding the Braves to two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings. He’s never faced Tampa Bay.

Right-hander Charlie Morton (6-0, 2.54 ERA) will get the call for the Rays. He’s been credited with the victory in three of his past four starts, including his most recent outing on Thursday. Morton held the Twins to two runs on four hits over seven innings and struck out six.

Morton hasn’t been charged with a loss since last Aug. 11 against Seattle. He has only faced Detroit twice in his career, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA.

The Rays have received a lineup boost from third baseman Christian Arroyo, who spent some time in the minors. Arroyo played 33 games for Triple-A Durham and hit .314 with eight homers and 29 RBIs.

He returned for a four-game weekend series against Minnesota and blasted two doubles and two homers. He was 1-for-3 on Tuesday.

The right-handed hitter will play quite a bit this week.

“Four of the next six are left-handed starters penciled in, so it’s going to be a really good opportunity for him to go out and play,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I really like what he did against the Twins. He had confident at-bats, he was aggressive and did some damage, got some big hits.”

The trip to the minors restored his confidence.

“We were encouraged and called him up, and the month he was down there, he did some special things,” Cash said. “Now it looks like it’s transitioned for us to the big-league level. If he continues to hit, he’ll continue to play.”