CLEVELAND -- Tigers reliever Buck Farmer left Monday night's 2-0 loss to the Indians with what he called a tightened glute muscle after seemingly losing his footing on the mound in the seventh inning. He's listed as day to day.
The Tigers listed the injury as a left hip spasm, but Farmer said it was more his lower back and glute. It happened when he landed awkwardly following through on a pitch early in the inning.
"Landed wrong and back locked up and ever since, just didn't feel comfortable," he said.
Farmer's left leg seemed to buckle a bit as he followed through on a pitch to Bradley Zimmer, prompting a mound visit from head athletic trainer Doug Teter. Farmer threw a practice pitch and stayed in, but he didn't look comfortable as he walked Zimmer.
"I guess on that warmup pitch I was in a different spot [on the mound], so that didn't affect me," Farmer said. "And then once Zimmer got in the box, there was a couple different pitches that it tightened up again. After that, obviously in 30-degree weather, there's no getting loose with it again."
Teter and manager Ron Gardenhire came back out to pull Farmer, who grabbed at his hip as he headed to the dugout. Drew VerHagen replaced him.
Farmer made the Tigers' bullpen out of Spring Training after converting from a starting role. The 27-year-old right-hander has given up five runs on five hits over 2 2/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
"I'll be back out there in a couple days," Farmer said.