Maybin's Broken Wrist Overshadows Tigers' Win Over Braves
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin is likely to miss the start of the season because of a broken left wrist.
A day after Maybin was hit by a pitch thrown by the New York Yankees' Luis Severino, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said a scan revealed a non-displaced hairline fracture,
"The doctor said four, six weeks," Ausmus said after Thursday's 8-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. "Generally that means four, six weeks for it to heal before you start to take part in baseball activities."
Detroit opens the season April 5 at Miami
The 28-year-old Maybin was reacquired by the Tigers from the Braves in November for pitchers Ian Krol and Gabe Speier. He had been expected to start in center field or possibly platoon with left-handed hitting Anthony Gose.
Another X-ray will be taken in two weeks, Ausmus said. Gose will be Detroit's center fielder until Maybin returns.
"Behind him, we don't have a ton of center fielders that are considered major league ready," Ausmus said, adding Tyler Collins can play the position occasionally.
After being drafted by the Tigers in 2005, Maybin has played most of his major league career with the Marlins, San Diego and Atlanta. Maybin hit .267 with 10 home runs, 59 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 141 games with the Braves last season.
As for the game, Victor Martinez hit his second home run of spring training and Ian Kinsler had a three-run double.
Freddie Freeman homered in the first off Daniel Norris, the only hit Norris allowed in two innings. The power-hitting first baseman is easing into his spring routine after injuring a wrist last summer.
"I think I've hit six days in a row. Everything's feeling good, no pain," Freeman said. "I would say we're ahead of schedule, yeah. I'm kind of going off the feel, and I have no pain in my wrist right now. Obviously we're still taking it slow."
Freeman will play in back-to-back games for the first time next week.
"If you didn't know any of the stuff that's transpired, you would say he's ready to go," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Martinez had an RBI single in the first against Sean Newcomb, who gave up three runs and four walks. Newcomb left the game after a pair of four-pitch walks starting the second.
Martinez homered leading off the fourth against Chris Volstad, who allowed five runs and five hits in two innings.
Kinsler's third-inning double came between doubles by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Anthony Gose in a four-run third inning.
STARTING TIME
Tigers: RHP Shane Greene, another rotation candidate, pitched two innings of shutout relief.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander gets his first start Friday against the New York Yankees in Lakeland.
Braves: RHP Lucas Sims is slated to face the Philadelphia Phillies at Clearwater. ... Julio Teheran is to pitch in a minor league game.
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