Cabrera Progressing, Could Be Taking Ground Balls Hit Right At Him In A Few Days
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
LAKELAND, FLA. - Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus gave an update Thursday on first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who has been easing into baseball activities since he was recently cleared following rehab from October surgery on his right foot and ankle.
The Tigers brought in an anti-gravity treadmill for Cabrera to use, and Ausmus said Cabrera ran on it for 20 minutes Wednesday at 65 percent body weight and a slight incline.
"For 20 minutes, he felt good," Ausmus said. "He hit. He threw ... From what [head athletic trainer] Kevin Rand has told me, once he reaches 80 percent of body weight on the treadmill, we believe we can start hitting ground balls kind of right at him. And also from what I've been told, it generally moves pretty quickly - like going from 65 percent body weight to 80 percent body weight, it's not like it takes two weeks. Generally it goes relatively fast, a couple days, three days."
Ausmus said Cabrera could hit on the field if he wants to, but so far Cabrera has opted not to do so.
"I've kind of left it on his shoulders," Ausmus said. "We've given him the option of going on the field to hit if he wants, and right now he prefers to hit in the cage. As long as he's getting his swings in. Quite frankly, if he gets on the field, he might - like we said with Victor [Martinez], if you put him in front of baseball action he might try to partake, so it doesn't bother me one bit that he's a little bit segregated right now, doesn't try to get involved too much."
Cabrera had surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle, and once it was discovered he had also suffered a stress fracture in his foot, that issue was repaired, too. Despite those injuries, Cabrera hit .313 and smacked 25 home runs in 2014.
