Maybin stays on DL; K-Rod on family leave
Detroit – Cameron Maybin was back in the Tigers clubhouse Sunday morning, but not for the reason he and the Tigers would have preferred.
Instead of rejoining the club, he was back to get another MRI – this one on his right shoulder, which he appeared to injure diving for a ball Saturday in Toledo.
“We are not sure the extent of it or if there are any type of issues in terms of pulling him off his rehab assignment or not,” manager Brad Ausmus said.
The answer came during the game.
The team announced in the third inning that they were recalling Maybin’s rehab assignment and keeping him on the disabled list. Apparently the MRI results showed some damage to the shoulder. Maybin said it was a slight subluxation.
“It didn’t look too bad,” Ausmus said. “He will be out five days before he starts throwing again and probably a week before he starts playing again.”
Maybin, despite this rash of bad luck, was in good spirits.
“I’m positive,” he said. “I’ll be back before you know, helping this team. Let’s just hope this is it and I get back at it. I’m ready to bring that energy.”
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Maybin initially injured the right shoulder slipping on his porch in Asheville, N.C., a week before spring training. He missed the first two weeks of spring training, then suffered a fractured left wrist in his first spring at-bat.
He was hit on the same wrist last week, which caused a five-day interruption in his rehab assignment. He had just restarted his rehab assignment Saturday when he fell on the shoulder.
K-Rod on leave
Closer Francisco Rodriguez left the team Saturday night to tend a family emergency.
“It’s a personal issue,” Ausmus said. “A family issue. He won’t be here for at least three days.”
With an emergency leave, Rodriguez could be gone a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven.
In the meantime, Ausmus said left-hander Justin Wilson and right-hander Mark Lowe would tag-team the closer duties, depending matchups.
Right-handers Alex Wilson and Drew VerHagen, plus lefty Blaine Hardy, would move up into the seventh and eighth innings. Though VerHagen was forced into an early appearance Sunday because of Shane Greene’s injury.
“Depending how deep the starter goes, but people can be slotted up,” Ausmus said. “We’ve said all along that Alex Wilson and VerHagen have the ability to pitch in the seventh and even eighth innings.”
McCann and Salty
As starting catcher James McCann nears a four-game rehab assignment (no start date has been set), the question was posed to Ausmus about whether hot-hitting Jarrod Saltalamacchia would share more of the catching load than was previously expected.
“He’s still going to play in a similar fashion,” Ausmus said. “We could use him to spell Vic (Martinez) at designated hitter if we think Vic needs a day, or he could spell Miggy (Cabrera) at first if he needed a day.
“But generally, he’s going to be used in the fashion we envisioned.”
Which is a left-handed hitting backup to right-handed hitting McCann.
McCann ran the bases and did agility drills Sunday. He caught a bullpen on Saturday. Barring a setback, he could start a rehab assignment, presumably at Toledo, this week. Ausmus said McCann would likely catch seven innings the first game, DH the second, catch nine innings the third and DH the fourth.
Around the horn
Jose Iglesias came up a little hobbled after hitting the bag at first base hard on a groundout in the sixth inning. He said afterward he hit the bag a little on the side and slightly twisted his ankle. He stayed in the game and doesn't expect to have to miss any time.
… After Sunday's game the Tigers optioned Matt Boyd to Toledo, with the intention of recalling Jose Valdez before Monday's game against the A's.
Twitter @cmccosky