CHICAGO -- Jose Cabrera is back in the Tigers' lineup against the White Sox on Saturday, two days after he bruised his left hip flexor following a tumble rounding first base. He is penciled into his customary spot, batting third and playing first base against Chicago starter Lucas Giolito.
Cabrera left Thursday's game when his hip flexor tightened up after the fall. He was thinking about going for second on his first-inning liner to left-center, but he seemingly lost his footing when he crossed first base. He took a few more steps before falling chest-first between first and second.
The veteran slugger did manage to pick himself up and scramble back to first base. But he was noticeably limping, drawing manager Ron Gardenhire and head athletic trainer Doug Teter out of the dugout. Cabrera stayed in the game, but left after the next inning. Niko Goodrum replaced him and hit his first Major League home run as part of a three-run comeback en route to a 9-7 Tigers victory.
Cabrera's return seemingly ends his first injury scare of the season, following a 2017 campaign beset by them. The four-time American League batting champion and two-time MVP entered Saturday batting .318 (7-for-22), with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Eleven of the 18 balls he has put in play had an exit velocity at 95 mph or harder, according to Statcast™.