Victor Martinez, Alex Avila Both Back To Baseball Activities
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus delivered some positive reports Tuesday on the status of several injured players, including catcher Alex Avila and designated hitter Victor Martinez.
Avila, who was placed on the disabled list for a loose body in his knee, started baseball activities Tuesday, hitting off the tee and doing soft toss. Avila originally thought he might need surgery, but after receiving several medical opinions, he opted for a treatment plan instead, and it appears to be working.
Ausmus said the Tigers miss Avila's experience behind the plate but should get him back before long.
"I think Alex will move relatively quickly now that he can start doing baseball [activity], assuming there's no setbacks," Ausmus said. "He will probably have to play some games in the minor leagues and rehab, but I think we'll see him in relatively short order."
Martinez, who was placed on the disabled list with knee inflammation, is still rehabbing in Orlando.
"We decided to not bring him up for three days," Ausmus said Tuesday. "He hit off the tee yesterday ... he had a good workout this morning, and he's scheduled to hit again this afternoon."
Ausmus said the Tigers keeping Martinez away from Comerica Park for a little while longer was not prompted by a setback but rather by the team's interest in preventing one.
"We want to protect Victor from himself," Ausmus said, "and we know if he's here he's going to want to go in the cage."
Ausmus said Martinez will probably rejoin the team when the Tigers return to Detroit after a weekend series on road against the Chicago White Sox.
Reliever Bruce Rondon has been on the disabled list since the start of the season with bicipital tendinitis. He made a rehab appearance Tuesday and allowed one run on two hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings.
Ausmus said Detroit will have some time to make a decision on what the next step for Rondon is.
"He wouldn't be able to pitch a couple days after it, so really nothing has to be done until Friday morning," Ausmus said.
Starting pitcher Justin Verlander is scheduled to make what should be his final rehab appearance Saturday, and he is expected to rejoin the team next week.
Verlander did not last even three innings in his previous rehab start, but Ausmus said he is not worried about the results of the outing but rather how Verlander feels physically.
"I'm not really concerned with what the line is or how many hits he gave up, how many runs," Ausmus said. "It's more about how he felt on the mound. I think he probably felt a little bit rusty, which is normal; he hasn't thrown in a game in two months. It's more about how he feels, the action on the pitches, and how he bounces back, so I'm not really concerned about what the results were."
The Tigers are currently on a five-game losing streak. With a 28-25 record, Detroit is third in the American League Central Division, 3.5 games out of first place.