A.J. Hinch had an "awful feeling" Sunday when Will Vest left the Tigers' loss to the Reds with a finger injury. He felt much better after an encouraging update on Monday.
"That was scary," Hinch said Tuesday on MLB Network Radio.
Fortunately for Vest and the Tigers, "the initial tests are very positive," said Hinch. "I'm expecting to have him available (Tuesday night) in some capacity and not go on the injured list."
Hinch cautioned that "things can obviously always change if we get more information, but so far, so good." He's confident that the Tigers "avoided a bigger scare."
Vest has been one of the Tigers' top relievers all season, forming a dominant 1-2 punch with Tommy Kahnle in the back of the bullpen. He boasts an ERA of 2.57, 37 strikeouts to nine walks in 35 innings and a team-leading 12 saves.
"I don't love walking out to the mound with a trainer and having one of your key guys tell you that he can't go. That's an awful feeling," said Hinch. "But on the off-day, I got pretty decent news that we should be in a good place starting this series."
