Tigers aren't in hurry for Miggy's injury rehab

DETROIT -- The Tigers didn't reboot Miguel Cabrera's injury rehab when they rebooted the roster, but it certainly appears to have been revised. After back-to-back years with Cabrera playing through significant injury to help the club through a playoff race, the Tigers are holding him back on the side of caution with their slimming playoff hopes.

Cabrera was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career on July 4 with a left calf strain.

"In my mind, before [the trades], I was like yeah, I need to rush it because I want to be in the field," Cabrera said on Tuesday. "But right now, everybody's talked to me and told me [to slow down] because they see I want to push it. They see me and say, 'No, calm down and try to get better, be smart.'"

The Tigers' hopes of contention and potential for adding players at last week's non-waiver Trade Deadline -- centered on staying close until Cabrera's return around mid-August. On that timetable, Cabrera's original hope was to be starting a Minor League rehab assignment around this point, whether he was healthy or not.

"It was my goal," Cabrera said. "Mentally, I was ready to go out there. It doesn't matter if it bothered me. I know I can play like that."

Once the Tigers decided to trade away David Price, Joakim Soria and Yoenis Cespedes last week, the plan changed. At this point, Cabrera said, he's not sure when he'll be cleared for rehab. He's taking batting practice and doing limited running, but can't run long distances.

"After all the trades, I see that [changed]," Cabrera said. "Now I take my time and try to be healthy. Don't try to rush it. Get back when my body tells me I can do it."

Worth noting
• The Tigers are monitoring the workload of trade acquisitions Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd, both of whom are nearing their career highs in innings pitched as professionals. But pitching coach Jeff Jones is hopeful they can do so without shutting them down early.

"We're sitting down this week and talking about it," Jones said. "We've got some off-days coming up on the next road trip, so we will probably skip somebody or we might skip them both if we can. We've just haven't sat down and looked at it yet."

• Left-hander Kyle Lobstein was sent to Class A Advanced Lakeland to begin a Minor League injury rehab assignment, but manager Brad Ausmus said he's probably a long way away from a return to Detroit.

"He's a ways off," Ausmus said of Lobstein, currently on the 60-day disabled list as he works back from a sore throwing shoulder. "He's going to have to make a number of rehab starts before he's considered."