Davis day to day with right groin tightness
DETROIT -- Rajai Davis finally showed up against the Indians this weekend. Now the Tigers have to hope his season isn't halted.
The sight of Davis pulling up out of the batter's box in the eighth inning of Sunday's 8-6 win over the Twins brought back bad memories for Tigers fans to the groin injury that bothered him last postseason. However, Davis said his right groin tightness isn't nearly as severe and shouldn't keep him out long, if at all.
"I don't think it's serious at all," Davis said. "I just think it's sore, tight. I've been running around on it a lot the last couple of days. I guess I wasn't used to that. If I get my body used to it, I think I'll be all right."
Davis is officially listed as day to day.
Video: CLE@DET: Davis turns on the jets to take third base
Davis made his second straight start Sunday, batting leadoff and playing in center field. He tripled and scored in the first inning, then made a diving catch in right-center field to retire Jason Kipnis with a runner on in the third. He scored twice more in the fifth and sixth before he came up in the eighth and hit a ground ball through the middle.
Davis took a couple steps out of the box to speed up, then slowed, trotting carefully to first base. After hunching over the bag, he left immediately for pinch-runner Anthony Gose.
"I mean, it was tight, and I wasn't running like I was capable of running," Davis said. "Just wanted to take precautionary measures. I think the bigger picture is what I was looking at."
Video: CLE@DET: Davis lays out to rob Kipnis of extra bases
Davis finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, completing a two-game stretch going 5-for-8 with six runs and three stolen bases. He became a spark plug for a Tigers offense that had been struggling for most of the week.
"That's exactly what he is," Ian Kinsler said. "Him and Anthony [Gose] are huge for our offense. If they can get on base, and get going, it opens up a lot of other things, puts a lot of pressure on the other team. So hopefully Raj can get healthy soon."
Davis had been expected to get a third consecutive start Monday night at Minnesota with left-hander Tommy Milone starting for the Twins, but that's now in question. If Davis can't go, Gose would likely get a rare start against a lefty, and manager Brad Ausmus would have to decide who bats leadoff, possibly moving Jose Iglesias up in the order for a game.