Cabrera Will Get First Rest Of Season Tuesday

Jim Leyland has come up with another way to get both Victor Martinez and Alex Avila in the game at the same time.

The Tigers manager will hold Miguel Cabrera out of the starting lineup Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

"There's no explanation, he's getting a day off," Leyland said. "Victor (Martinez) will play first base. (Cabrera) is 0-for-12 with four strikeouts (lifetime against Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley), so you pick your spot. And this is the spot."

Cabrera isn't slumping -- he just had a nine-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-3 performance Monday in the Tigers' 4-0 loss to the Dodgers -- but Leyland figures this is as good a time as any to give him his first day off of the season. Or part of a day off, because be assured Cabrera will pinch-hit if the game is close and the inning is late.

Los Angeles is starting a right-hander, so Leyland was going to load his lineup with left-handed batters, just as he went for a right-handed lineup Monday against southpaw Clayton Kershaw.

Avila will catch while Martinez plays first.

On the first game of the road trip, Friday at Colorado, Leyland had Avila at third base and Martinez behind the plate in his first ploy to get both in the game at the same time (sans a designated hitter).

It also gets Martinez out from behind the plate, where he's likely to reappear Wednesday. Avila would sit that one out against a left-handed Los Angeles starter.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.