DETROIT -- Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres had two hits in as many innings off Rangers starter Kumar Rocker Saturday night at Comerica Park, but then left the game with tightness in the left side. He’s undergoing further evaluation, according to the Tigers.
Torres had an infield single in the first inning, but was thrown out at home trying to score on Riley Greene’s ensuing single. Torres showed no obvious signs of injury, stayed in the game in the field and batted again in the second, providing an RBI bloop single for a 5-0 lead. Once the Tigers took the field for the fourth inning, however, Hao-Yu Lee had replaced Torres at second base.
The Tigers have battled a series of injuries over the last couple of weeks, including fellow infielders Zach McKinstry and Javier Báez along with pitchers Casey Mize and Will Vest. McKinstry homered Saturday in the second game of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo, splitting the game between second base and right field. He could potentially return in the coming days. The Tigers also acquired ex-teammate Zack Short from the Nationals in a Minor League deal for depth on Friday.
The Tigers have been particularly mindful of Torres’ health for two reasons: He had surgery after last season to repair a sports hernia he played through for much of the second half, and he had an atypical ramp-up to action in Spring Training while playing in the World Baseball Classic, where he helped lead Team Venezuela to a gold medal. The Tigers monitored his work over the first couple weeks of the season, including starts at designated hitter in five of the first 16 games. However, he had settled into second base since mid-April, with only one start at DH since then.