Avila making progress, waiting to be cleared

DETROIT -- Alex Avila is progressing through tests after suffering a concussion last week.

After being placed on the seven-day concussion list on Aug. 12, retroactive to Aug. 11, he's been undergoing a battery of tests set by MLB protocol to make sure he is symptom-free.

"Yesterday I got my heart rate to 60 percent. Today it'll be 85 percent," Avila said. "As long as I continue to have no symptoms or problems, I'll keep progressing until doctors clear me to play."

Manager Jim Leyland said Avila definitely will be wearing a different mask, one with more padding and heavier bars. Avila tried a hockey mask in the past, but found it uncomfortable. While the Tigers are hoping the new mask will help Avila, that doesn't mean they're not worried about another concussion in the future.

"I'm concerned about it, because I've been suspicious for a couple of years with Alex," Leyland said. "I really talked about it a little bit with the coaches. I'm worried about him getting hit so many times. I really don't know how it happens. He gets hit more than any catcher that I've ever seen, without question, by far."