Kinsler in concussion protocol; V-Mart rests knee

September 20th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- was diagnosed with a mild concussion and placed in the concussion protocol after the Tigers' second baseman took a pitch off his helmet on Sunday in Cleveland.
Kinsler was held out of the Tigers' lineup for Tuesday's opener against the Twins after feeling recurring symptoms while riding an exercise bike earlier in the day.
"He feels better but he's still a little -- I guess groggy would be the way to describe it, a little foggy," manager Brad Ausmus said. "So clearly, we're not going to put him in there."
Kinsler said after Tuesday's 8-1 Tigers win that the symptoms happen only when he gets his heart rate up or if he lays down for an extended period and then gets up.

"It's something that I want to get over with quickly," he said.
Kinsler will continue to go through the tests until he feels no such symptoms, either in the tests or during pregame activities like batting practice.
"He felt really good," head athletic trainer Kevin Rand. "He hadn't had any signs yesterday or today except for just a little bit of fogginess."
Kinsler was one of three Tigers hitters struck by pitches from Bauer on Sunday in Cleveland, but he took the scariest impact. He stayed in the game for three more innings before being ejected on what Ausmus called a misunderstanding. However, Ausmus added, Kinsler reported feeling a headache later and showed signs of a possible concussion that day. However, Kinsler admitted Tuesday that he wasn't feeling right by then.

"I was more worried about staying on my feet, to be honest with you," Kinsler said, "and seeing the ball. … I wasn't feeling great."
It wasn't a headache, Kinsler said, but pressure. Still, he was going to play as long as he could, so the ejection might have been a blessing.
"He was examined by the physician in Cleveland after the game," Rand said. "He had some symptoms from a reporting standpoint, but as far as his memory and balance, those things were all normal.
"It's more of a delayed-onset type thing. Even at that, he felt better yesterday than he did on Sunday. He's continued to feel better. He's just not ready yet."
, also hit by a Bauer pitch on Sunday, was also out of Tuesday's lineup with a swollen right knee, where Bauer's pitch hit him. Martinez, too, stayed in the game after the impact, but his knee swelled up once the game ended.
"It's purple and swollen," Ausmus said. "It's going to be hard for him to move around for a little bit."
started in Kinsler's place at second base on Tuesday, while served as the designated hitter against Twins lefty . Slugging prospect could see time at DH against right-handed pitchers if Martinez remains out, Ausmus said.
With expanded rosters, the Tigers are unlikely to use the seven-day concussion disabled list for Kinsler, hoping he'll be back earlier than that.
"He has to demonstrate that he'll able to handle activity without any recurrence of symptoms," Rand said. "Once he does that, he'll be good to go."
Kinsler said he has not heard from Bauer, who apologized to him during his postgame interview on Sunday.

"It's part of the game," Kinsler said.

Asked if there were no hard feelings, Kinsler paused.

"I mean, I don't like the Indians," he said wryly. "Does that count?"